ANZAC Day 2009

For Grandpop, and his brothers, who served in the Big One.
He sold poppies for the RSA on a Christchurch Street corner
until he could no longer.
And for Uncles Eddie and Leslie who served in the Other Big One,
dodging Rommel's Panzers in the dead of night in the North African desert.

What stories you might have told if I'd been but a bit older.

In Flanders Fields

Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918)
Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

The poignant story behind the poem here.

Lest We Forget - National War Memorial & Carrillion - Wellington - ANZAC Day

National War Memorial & Carrillion Tower, Wellington, 2009
Formerly the National Museum & Art Gallery, the site has become the Wellington campus of Massey University.

Lest We Forget - Lyttelton - Those Who Also Served, ANZAC Day

Their final resting place, one lasting look over the port that was their life.
Lyttelton, 2007.

In memoriam to those whose lives were shortened or traumatized by their wartime service in the years of peace that followed and to those who died while serving in the merchant marine in wartime.

And to those who dealt with the anguish and pain of never seeing sons, fathers, husbands, brothers, and chums ever again. And to those who lost daughters, wives, mothers, sisters, and friends.

Lest We Forget - The Lyttelton Anzacs, Anzac Day

The War Memorial, Lyttelton, New Zealand, 2007

To this memorial we might add those whose lives were shortened or traumatized by their wartime service in the years of peace that followed and those who died while serving in the merchant marine in wartime.

Lest We Forget - New Brighton ANZAC Day

New Brighton War Memorial,
Christchurch, 2009

A solitary seagull serves as sentry to the dead, facing into the prevailing nor-easterly off the Pacific, a mere stone's throw from the memorial.

The Bag Lady of New Brighton, Christchurch, 2009

The Bag Lady, with her trademark hat of many mini stuffed animals, passes by the War Memorial to her right. The New Brighton public library & pier lie behind her, with the equally trademark clock tower in left background.

Lest We Forget - Cheviot War Memorial & Anzac Day

War Memorial
Cheviot, North Canterbury, NZ, 2009

New Zealand has one of the highest rates of war memorials per capita in the world. Every small town - even crossroads - seems to have one to commemorate the loss of its young men in the two world wars of the twentieth century. A New Zealand War Memorials register compiled by NZ History On-line has over 450 memorials listed but some are still to be added - one at least is known to be missing by this blogger.

As ANZAC Day, 25 April, approaches we remember the sacrifice of the men of Cheviot, North Canterbury in those conflicts.