A sizeable crowd gathered at the cenotaph on Waipawa’s main street to join in the Anzac Day commemoration. Photo / Rachel Wise
A sizeable crowd gathered at the cenotaph on Waipawa’s main street to join in the Anzac Day commemoration. Photo / Rachel Wise
Anzac Day services across Central Hawke’s Bay were well supported, with the district’s civic service at Waipawa drawing a larger crowd than had been seen in years.
The service included three of Central Hawke’s Bay’s WWII veterans: Jack McCleary QSM aged 97, Ken Scheele, 97, and Les Morice, 104. Afourth veteran, Wally Malcolm, 102, was unable to attend on the day.
Three of Central Hawke’s Bay’s WWII veterans at the Anzac Day civic service in the CHB Municipal Theatre, from left, Les Morice with his youngest granddaughter Zoe Fay holding his framed medals, Jack McCleary QSM, Ken Scheele and Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker. Absent was Wally Malcolm. Photo / Rachel Wise
Central Hawke’s Bay Mayor Alex Walker introduced the men as “taonga in Central Hawke’s Bay”. She welcomed the service personnel present and the emergency services, thanking them for their service and protection during the recent Cyclone Gabrielle.
“We honour our service personnel not only in wartime but also in peacetime,” she said.
Alex also introduced visitor Joy Clements, an international relations policy officer from the Australian High Commission, currently on a diplomatic posting to Wellington.
The Central Hawke’s Bay Concert Choir performing In Flanders Fields at the civic service. Photo / Rachel Wise
Also visiting were a contingent of young soldiers from Linton Army Base, who had participated in the Otane Dawn Parade, then travelled to services at Ongaonga and Tikokino before attending the Waipawa Civic Service.
Guest speaker retired Waipawa and District RSA president Maitland Manning, QSM, based his speech on “the oft-ignored history of some of our veterans who served overseas and locally during WWII, risking life and limb to ensure that you and I and our children would have a safe future in New Zealand”.
WWII veterans and RSA members were piped out of the theatre, flanked by an honour guard of emergency services, cadets and soldiers from Linton Camp. Photo / Rachel Wise
He concluded by requesting that those in the theatre stand, and he led the crowd in a standing ovation to the veterans present, saying “To each of you, thank you on behalf of Waipawa and New Zealand for what you have done for us. We can never repay you.”
The service continued with a march led by the Napier Pipe Band, to the Waipawa Cenotaph, where the closed main street was packed with families and individuals, most wearing a poppy and many wearing medals earned by family members.
WWII veteran Jack McCleary QSM comes forward to place a poppy at the Waipawa War Memorial. Photo / Rachel Wise
The crowd stood silent for the reading of the Ode by Morris Meha and Walter Scott, then the sound of the Last Post and Reville, before stepping forward to lay wreaths and poppies at the foot of the cenotaph.
After a benediction from Reverend Joan Edmunson, those gathered were dismissed, but many lingered - perhaps drawn to stay by the sunshine, or perhaps by the lingering feeling of camaraderie and community that had permeated the occasion.
