ANZAC Day in Aotearoa

Commemorating ANZAC Day 2018

As you might remember from my recent post about Te Papa,  the ANZAC acronym (which stands for Australia & New Zealand Army Corps) first came about from the battle of Gallipoli, where the two nation's armed forces joined together.  As I thought back to the last time I celebrated ANZAC Day, in Australia 2014, it almost seemed fitting that four years later I would celebrate ANZAC Day in New Zealand.  World War One began in 1914 and ended in 1918, one hundred years ago this year.

There were services all over the area, with a dawn service and parade in downtown Christchurch.  Unfortunately, the buses were not running early enough for me to attend that, but there was also a Citizens' Service at the Transitional Cathedral at 10am, which I was able to attend.  The service began with the official party and flag bearers entering to the march, "Fernleaf Headstones" (fun fact: was commissioned for the funeral procession for the Return of the Unknown Warrior in 2004). As a British Commonwealth country they subsequently sang the National Anthem ("God Save the Queen") before we were welcomed, in both Maori and English, by the Very Rev. Lawrence Kimberley and Her Worship the Mayor of Christchurch.  We sang two hymns, "O God, Our Help In Ages Past" and "Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer".  The words of both were mostly the same to the ones we sing back in America, but not exactly the same.  Scripture readings of Jeremiah 31:15-17 and Romans 12:14-21 accompanied the hymns before an address was given by Air Commodore Andrew Clark of the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF).  He mentioned the battle of Gallipoli and then the horrible losses sustained during the year of 1918.  Not only did New Zealand lose nearly 17% of its military personnel throughout the war (most of them during 1918), there was an influenza pandemic at the end of 1918 that killed an additional 9,000 New Zealanders.  The desire for peace by New Zealand as a nation, and remembrance of those who fought in subsequent wars, such as WWII, Malay, Vietnam, Korea, East Timor, and Afghanistan were also brought to our attention. 

After a beautiful rendition of "In Flanders Fields" by the Christchurch Boys' Choir, Lieutenant Commander Paul Smith, Commanding Officer of HMNZS Pegasus, read a portion of "The Remembrance" by Pericles.

For the whole earth is the sepulchre of heroes: monuments may rise and tablets may be set up to them in their own land; but on far off shores there is an abiding memorial that no pen or chisel has traced; it is graven not in stone or brass, but on the living heart of humanity.  Take these men then for your example, like them, remember that prosperity can only be for the free, that freedom is the sure possession of those alone who have courage to defend it.

Responsive prayers led by the St John Cadets and a congregational hymn, which I had never heard before, were next in the service before The Last Post, (a bugle call common in Commonwealth nations), which commemorates those who have been killed in war, was played.  A Scottish bagpiper played the "Reveille" and then the New Zealand National Anthem ("God Defend New Zealand") was sang (you can listen to it here).  It was a very nice service with a good mix of representatives from service organizations, government offices, and military personnel, and it was quite well attended too.