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In January a well attended lecture entitled 'At the Back of the Front' was held at Limefield UF Church. No doubt the younger members of the audience would have paid especial attention to the guest speaker, for the government had just announced that all young men of 18 years would now be called to the colours. 'It is not intended to send them abroad until they reach 19 years, but the government evidently intend to train them for home defence. This will liberate a large number of fit men for service abroad.'
How would those eighteen year olds feel reading the following report, which was the work of Private James Milne, a former member of the Advertiser's reporting staff, writing from 'somewhere in France'.
'I passed a pretty little soldiers' graveyard the other day, which I might describe to you. I say pretty because it was situated 'neath the shelter of an embankment, and had a frontage to the road, and commanded the reverence of passers by.'
'It is at once evident that willing hands care for this sacred mound, for the crosses, some formed with wood, others of shell cases, and others artistically fashioned from other war materials salvaged from the battlefield, were so arranged that the cosmopolitan character of the heroes sleeping their last sleep in that lovely little spot in France could be at once observed.'
'A hero from the Northwest of Canada lay side by side with Highlanders from Scotland, while near to the graves of heroes from the southern English counties was the last resting place of another fighter in the Empire's cause from Australia; all at peace with the world after performing their noble tasks. there are many such soldiers' graveyards in France that I've seen, but I thought this one of the most impressive of all.'
(Menin Gate, Ypres)
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