More poppies for Hastings streets

More Hastings street signs will be adorned with poppies this Friday.

A raft of streets are about to have a poppy added to their sign, as part of a national project to recognise the contribution of New Zealanders to international conflicts.

Many streets and landmarks are named for servicemen or the vessels they served on, and to keep the connection alive those places are being marked with the traditional symbol associated with battlefields.

On Friday nine streets in the suburb of Mayfair, Hastings, will be adorned: Jellicoe St, Beatty St and Beatty Pl, Hood St, Anson St, Cunningham Cres, Norfolk Cres, Sussex St and Haig St.

Eight of the streets are linked by a common maritime theme - all being named for admirals or battleships.

About 7000 New Zealand officers and ratings served with the Royal Navy during World War II, hence the naming of the streets and the addition of the poppies.

The ninth, Haig St, is named for Field Marshall Douglas Haig, a New Zealander and key leader in the British and Commonwealth forces in World War I.

Friday's commemoration, hosted by Hastings District Council and the RSA, will bring the places in Hastings marked with a poppy to 18. It will be held at the intersection of Jellicoe and Anson streets, at 10am, December 16.

Jellicoe St
Jellicoe St was named for Sir John Rushworth Jellicoe in 1916. He helped design the battlecruiser HMS Dreadnought and in World War I commanded the Grand Fleet. (1914-1916).
Beatty St and Beatty Pl
Beatty St and Beatty Pl were named for Admiral David Beatty, Admiral of the Fleet in WWI.
Hood St
Hood St was named for Rear-Admiral Sir Horace Lambert Alexander Hood who served with Beatty and at the Battle of Jutland in WWI. He was killed during that battle when the HMS Invincible was sunk.
Anson St
Anson St was named for HMS Anson, a battleship assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
Cunningham Cres
Cunningham Cres was named for Admiral Andrew Cunningham who served in the Boer War, WWI and WWII, becoming Commander in Chief of the Mediterranean Fleet.
Norfolk Cres
Norfolk Cres was named for the HMS Norfolk, part of the fleet that sank the Bismarck and was one of the major combatant ships of the Royal Navy. Lieutenant RS McNaught, RNZNVR, who was born in Hastings, was one of the New Zealanders who served on the HMS Norfolk.
Sussex St
Sussex St was named for the fourth HMS Sussex, a major combat ship in the Royal Navy in 1939. The ship played an important role in WWII, and the surrender of the Japanese forces in Singapore was accepted on board the HMS Sussex.
Haig St
Haig St used to be part of Park Terrace and was renamed in 1922 for Field Marshall Douglas Haig, one of the key leaders of the British and Commonwealth forces in World War I. One of his enduring legacies was setting up the Haig Fund to help servicemen who were financially hard up or incapacitated after being wounded, and which eventually became the poppy appeal.