Anger after Anzac service canned

Havelock North's residents and long-time Anzac Day service participants Richard Mackesy, left, Marnie Mackesy, Maurice Wiggins, Pat Frykberg and Margot Harvey. Photo / Duncan Brown

Some of Hawke's Bay's oldest war veterans could miss big public centennials marking the Gallipoli landings because the Anzac Day service in Havelock North has been scrapped.

The decision was made by the Hastings RSA several months ago, deciding to go with a single major Hastings district Hastings Remembers commemoration for the 100th anniversary of the 1915 campaign in which more than half New Zealand's 14,000 troops were wounded, including 2779 who died. It is supported by Hastings District Council.

Veterans of the Havelock North parade, some of whom lost fathers and uncles at Gallipoli, or family in other wars, only learned of the cancellation this week, and rallied yesterday in the rain beside the village's cenotaph in support of 77-year-old Margot Harvey who expressed her displeasure in a letter to the editor of Hawke's Bay Today.

"That's amalgamation for you," said Miss Harvey. "Havelock North's been done in the eye more than once by Hastings."

With her were Richard Mackesy, 96, wife Marnie, 90, Pat Frykberg, 91, and Maurice Wiggins, 84.

"If they'd known you were coming, a lot more would have been here," said Mr Wiggins, whose uncle died at Gallipoli.

They remembered parades when up to 200 ex-servicemen would march from the borough council chambers to the Cenotaph on Anzac Day, and are inspired by the growth of services in recent years as younger people joined in honouring the dead and survivors who fought for their country. "It is with utter disbelief and dismay that I heard that, possibly for the first time ever, there will be no service here," Miss Harvey said.

There are three retirement homes in the area and hundreds of older people who she says will feel the same, and either won't be able to go to the Hastings commemoration, or won't want to.

Miss Harvey is urging Havelock North to "fight" to have a service at the Cenotaph, saying: "On the Cenotaph there are the names of 40 men from the First World War. At that time, I doubt if there would have been any families who did not lose a loved one. There are far too many names of those who died in World War II. These men died for us. Now it is our turn to fight for them."

The Deputy Mayor of Hastings, Cynthia Bowers, said in a joint council-RSA statement in February the Anzac Day programme in Hastings would include supporting events and enable the community to fully participate in "remembrance of the soldiers who fought so bravely in WWI". It included a dawn parade starting at 5am, a civic commemoration starting at 10am, and events between the two ceremonies.

Yesterday the RSA's representative on the joint RSA-council organising committee, John Sturgis, said "We have a big programme which draws on Defence, local and national resources. We felt that by concentrating those resources on one site we could provide a much richer experience to those who came to honour our war veterans."

Arrangements have been made to transport Havelock North veterans, and members of the public to the Hastings cenotaph for the dawn service and the 10am civic service. A bus will pick up members of the public at the Havelock North cenotaph at 4.30am and 9am. Havelock North veterans are able to book a door-to-door service by phoning the council on 871 5000.

The programme for the day includes the unveiling of a statue of Napier-born Sir Andrew Russell who commanded New Zealand soldiers in World War 1 in England, Gallipoli, France and Belgium. The Defence Force is providing a guard of honour for the cenotaph and two Light Armoured Vehicles " honouring the armoured corps' links back to Sir Andrew. The armoured corps grew out of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade which was led by Major General Russell.

A service traditionally held at the Hawke's Bay Hospital has also been canned.