Many ways to remember this Anzac Day

The 80th anniversary of a major WWII battle for the Allied Forces in the Middle East, where large-scale offensives to push back German and Italian armies occured, will be recognised in 2023 as Anzac Day services return to normal.

In March 1943, at the Battle of Medenine in Tunisia, German Field Marshal Edwin Rommel fought his last major encounter in Africa as Axis forces attempted to delay an attack by the British 8th Army on the Mareth Line.

The war in the Middle East was changing fast, and with the Battle of Medenine going in favour to the Allies, Rommel’s forces and the remaining Italian army found themselves squeezed into a corner of Tunisia and then retreating towards Italy. Following April 1943 Allied forces would be focusing their efforts on the invasion of Sicily and the Italian mainland.

Observers at of Anzac Day in 1943 would have seen hopeful indications that the tide of war was changing, and not just in the Middle East and Europe. Naval forces in the Pacific, with significant air combat support, were turning the tide on Japanese occupancy. Guadacanal

Island was cleared of Japanese troops in February, and Allied forces steadily moved on recapturing islands and other territory under Japanese occupation.

Back in New Zealand, families were praying and hoping their loved ones away at war would get back soon. Anzac Day services up and down New Zealand had an increasing sense of hope, but the war effort was far from ended against our main enemies, Germany and Japan. The war still had two hard years to go, with many more Kiwi lives lost in combat.

Anzac Day in New Zealand has been marked by services throughout the country since 1916 during WWI. The first Anzac Day was observed as a half day holiday on 25 April 1916, to mark the first anniversary of the Gallipoli landings. The mood was solemn, weekend racing was postponed and cinemas stayed shut around the country until late afternoon. The first Anzac memorial built in New Zealand was a wooden cross erected in 1916 on top of Tīnui Taipo/Mount Maunsell in the Wairarapa. Over the years since this memorial was established it has been a long tradition for locals to climb up to the cross at Tīnui to commemorate those who came from the area and lost their lives in war.

A special walkway was created some years ago through the Tīnui Forest Park and a neighbouring farm to enable people to reach the track up to the Anzac memorial. This access route has been an amazing community initiative and a credit to the perseverance of a small group of local people to keep Anzac Day a special part of Tīnui’s heritage.

Parewanui, near Bulls in the Rangitīkei District, sees a special gathering on Anzac Day to pay tribute to a famous horse, Bess, who survived WWI, one of only four horses to return at war’s end. As one of more than 10,000 horses that New Zealand sent overseas to serve in WWI.

Bess was ridden in the Middle East and on the Western Front by Lieutenant Colonel Charles Guy Powles, father of former New Zealand diplomat, Sir Guy Powles.

The Category 1 heritage listed memorial to Bess is one of very few remembering the role of horses in war and it had a significant value to the soldiers who were unable to bring their horses home. The memorial to Bess where she located in the farm paddock where Bess spent her last days. The Anzac service at Parewanui attracts over 300 people each year.

Over the decades there have been few cancellations of Anzac services in New Zealand. In 1937, a number of services were cancelled due to the polio epidemic, and in 2017, 58 services in the Auckland area were cancelled or changed because of the heightened terror threat that followed the Christchurch massacre.

And for the first time in Anzac Day history we recall the nationwide cancellation of public services in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Instead, we experienced a 6am virtual dawn service across the country, the first of its kind, with many chosing to stand at the end of their driveways in a dawn vigil.

With Anzac services returning to normal, thousands of people and families will once again gather in remembrance of those who died serving their country in many theatres of war. We will expect that huge wave of interest to gather in all towns and cities throughout New Zealand in remembrance on 25 April 2023.

Sport has always been popular in the military, used for team building, fitness, recreation and morale, and 2023 will place special emphasis on this. Highly respected former All Black captain, Sir Wayne (Buck) Shelford, will be presiding at Anzac services for the first time, having recently taken over the mantle of National President of the Royal New Zealand Returned Services Association (RNZRSA) from former long serving President, B. J. Clark.

At the RNZRSA National Conference this past year ‘Buck’ Shelford was presented with the kākahu maumahara, the traditional cloak worn by RNZRSA National Presidents.

Sporting figures and others who admire ‘Buck’ Shelford leading the All Blacks to victory back in his day will be looking out for this new leader of our RNZRSA on Anzac Day and on other ceremonial occasions. n