Purple poppy day

From page 1. The Purple Poppy was created in 2006 by a UK Charity “Animal Aid” to commemorate animals which served from The Boer War to the present conflicts as they are the forgotten victims of war.

New Zealander, Nigel Allsopp MA, is the Founder and President of the Australian War Animals Memorial Organisation and he raised money and donated a bronze plaque for New Zealand Service animals. Nigel unveiled it on 24 February 2018 at the Army National Museum in Waiouru.

In June 2018 Nigel donated and unveiled a memorial at Massey University as a tribute to the veterinary men and women who served from 1907 to 1945 in the New Zealand Veterinary Corps during WW1 and WW2.

The Nelson RSA held an Inaugural Memorial Sunset Service on Friday 24 February this year, at the Nelson RSA Lawn Cemetery Marsden Valley.

Nigel Allsopp attended the service as guest speaker and unveiled a bronze plaque which AWAMO donated to the animals and people of Nelson.

The ceremony started with a tribute by Zen a riderless war horse and Dixie a Red Cross rescue war dog appearing through a haze of purple smoke with their handlers. Bailey and Stan and their handlers from the Richmond RDA and the NZ Police dog Nour and NZ Police handler followed behind.

Alone piper played a lament while they all, including twelve members from the Histrionics troop dressed in replica WW1 uniforms walked in extended line through the rows of veterans buried at the RSA Lawn Cemetery.

The scene had been set as they moved towards the service area of the memorial rock and bronze plaque, where animals and their owners plus invited guests had gathered under a setting sun.

The President of the Nelson RSA Zoe Norquay, welcomed everyone and thanked the animals who attended to remember all the heroic animals in war. They never volunteered they were drafted and would have been exposed to the horrors of war.

The service continued with the National Anthem sung by Brianna and Bronte from Nelson College for Girls, then Nigel Allsopp unveiled the bronze plaque with the Mayor of Nelson,

Nick Smith. Speeches by Mayor Nick and Nigel followed with a musical tribute to the animals of war by the Anzac Quartet, and a wreath laying ceremony. The War Animal Ode was recited by Fiona Pitcaithly before the ceremonial Last Post, Silence and Rouse.

A tribute to the NZ Veterinary Corp by Darryl Page of Histrionics and the poem Flanders Field read by Jeremy Matthews of the Anzac Quartet completed the service.

A Guard of Honour by the Histrionics and the War Animal Prayer recited by Padre Gordon Taylor for the riderless war horse and war rescue dog as they walked back through the RSA veterans with a final farewell before disappearing into the setting sun.