Battle of Chunuk Bair commemorated in Stratford with wreath-laying ceremony

Wreaths were placed at the Malone Memorial Arch and Gates in Stratford on Sunday. Photo / Ilona Hanne

"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."

One hundred and six years after the Battle of Chunuk Bair took place in Gallipoli, the sacrifice of that day was remembered.

A short ceremony took place at Stratford's Malone Gates on Sunday, to mark the date and to honour those who gave their lives in the infamous battle.

Organised by Stratford District Council, the ceremony was followed by light refreshments in the Centennial Rest Rooms.

Members of the public joined councillors, district council staff and representatives of the RSA and members of Stratford's No. 48 Squadron Air Cadet Unit to formally mark the occasion.

A small crowd gathered on Sunday morning for a wreath-laying service marking the anniversary of the Battle of Chunuk Bair. Photo / Ilona Hanne

After a brief welcome from council chief executive Sven Hanne, the crowd heard from councillor John Sandford who reminded those present of the sacrifice made and the bravery shown by Malone and his men.

"On 8 August, 1915, Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone's battalion seized the strategic heights of Chunuk Bair. He was accidentally killed by supporting artillery fire. The tenacity displayed by the Wellington Infantry Battalion in the face of the overwhelming odds they were up against that day embodied the spirit of their commanding officer ... Today we acknowledge Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone and the Wellington Infantry Battalion and the Battle of Chunuk Bair."

Deputy Mayor Alan Jamieson and RSA representative John More then placed wreaths at the Malone Gates before The Last Post was sounded and the Ode to the Fallen recited before a minute's silence was held.

The Malone Memorial Arch and Gates, where the ceremony took place, were built in 1923, eight years to the day after Malone's death. The construction of the memorial was paid for by soldiers of the Wellington Regiment, reflecting their high regard for their former commander.