Anzac spirit undiminished despite series of mishaps

The country’s Anzac spirit was not dampened by wild weather cancelling the national commemoration service in Wellington or the New Zealand Defence Force’s luggage being lost on the way to Gallipoli.

Meanwhile, in New Plymouth, dawn service attendees banded together to physically lift and move a car that was in the way of proceedings.

However, some stark messages were delivered this Anzac Day, including from Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters who used his speech at Gallipoli to say: “We live in a troubled world, the worst in memory.”

The world has emerged from the global pandemic more divided, Peters said.

Regional instabilities and the chaos they create threaten the security of too many, he said.

“It took Winston Churchill nearly 40 years after the fighting waged across this peninsula, right here, and a second World War, to learn from Gallipoli’s experience to declare, “to jaw, jaw is better than war, war.”

“It was true then. It is true now. Never has diplomacy been more needed to de-escalate conflicts and ease tensions. This is our lesson and resolve when leaving Gallipoli today.”

A strong message was also delivered by 17-year-old Rotorua Boys’ High School head boy Jared Lasike at the city’s memorial service.

Lasike spoke about his great grandfathers’ contributions at war and said their comradeship brought the country together, unlike the divisiveness experienced today.

“Race, political beliefs and religion are all motivators in separating our people. People are more concerned with being correct and proving a point… This is where we can learn more from our ancestors,” he said.

In Wellington, the National Anzac Day Commemoration Service was cancelled due to strong winds.

The weather was also a problem for the service last year when choristers from New Zealand’s top youth choir began collapsing as the sun-soaked ceremony proved too much without shelter.

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage said the “unfortunate” decision to cancel today’s 11am event at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park had been made for the health and safety of veterans, visitors and guests.

A small, reduced service was moved indoors to escape the wind, with veterans and officials invited into the Hall of Memories.

MetService meteorologist Daniel Corrigan said a wind gust of 109km/h was recorded in Kelburn at 10am.

While gusts reached speeds relatively close to the warning criteria of 120km/h, they were not expected to get stronger and were set to ease overnight, Corrigan said.

The cancellation didn’t stop anti-war protesters from attending with banners referencing the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Wellington’s iconic Bucket Fountain was also targeted by protesters, with the water dyed red and posters stuck to its frame.

“Judaism is peace, Zionism is violence”, “No glory in war, No pride in genocide” and “Don’t glorify war” are some of the messages displayed on the posters.

ACT MP and party spokesman for veterans and rural communities Mark Cameron criticised these protests as pitiful attempts to detract from Anzac Day.

“Meanwhile in Wellington… Officials cancelled the National Commemoration Service because of a bit of wind, as if that would have bothered our veterans”, Cameron said.

In Gallipoli, the Anzac Day dawn service went ahead smoothly after it was thought NZDF personnel would have to play a reduced role in the ceremony when soldiers’ uniforms and musical instruments were lost in transit.

The baggage was lost amid the chaos of the Dubai floods last week.

The NZDF’s Gallipoli lead, John McLeod, said members of the contingent who were not performing ceremonial roles had lent their uniforms to other soldiers who were.

The Australian Defence Force, too, had lent a bugle to NZ’s contingent so the Last Post could still be played.

“It has been a case of coming up with solutions to each problem and the contingent have done this really well collectively. Morale is high and we have a very positive attitude towards making the commemorations a fitting tribute to those who have walked this ground before us”, McLeod said.

In our largest city, the Anzac Day Dawn Service began at 6am at the Auckland War Memorial Museum in the Auckland Domain, while Vector lights on the Auckland Harbour Bridge were lit in poppy red.

In Christchurch, for the second time since the 2011 earthquakes, the city’s dawn service returned to Cathedral Square under the newly reinstated Citizens’ War Memorial.

In Paraparaumu, there was a special moment at the service when a new joint plaque was unveiled on the War Memorial Arch.

The plaque is in honour of two Kāpiti men – Sergeant Alastair (Al) Don and Staff Sergeant Richard (Dick) Grigg – who were killed in Vietnam.

Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.