"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."
The fourth stanza from Laurence Binyon's poem For the Fallen is often called the Ode of Remembrance. First published in The Times of London in September 1914 it is often read out or used in wreath laying and remembrance services around the world.
On Monday morning the lines were once again heard, as Stratford District Council chief executive Matt O'Mara read them out to a group gathered at the Malone Memorial gates during a wreath laying ceremony.
Mayor Neil Volzke placed the wreath at the gates and said it was important that, 101 years on from the Battle of Chunuk Bair, people still came together to commemorate the events of that day.
It is important we continue to remember, honour and recognise the sacrifice made by the men who fought for our freedom.
The Battle of Chunuk Bair, says Neil, "is of particular significance to Stratford, given the town's connection to Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone".
Lieutenant Colonel Malone was a Stratford farmer and lawyer who commanded the Wellington Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli, and was killed in action shortly after his men seized the heights of Chunuk Bair.
Stratford Press prints last issue as NZME closes 14 community papers nationwide.