Crosses back in park, while awaiting permanent field

SOMBRE: Four hundred crosses are to be placed today in a field of remembrance ceremony at Laurie Hall Park.PHOTO/FILE

A field of remembrance ceremony leading up to Anzac Day to honour those who died at war will take place in central Whangarei this morning.

The Whangarei RSA has said a permanent memorial to honour those from the city who sacrificed their lives during World War II is planned at Laurie Hall Park by next year's Anzac celebration.

The Whangarei District Council will fork out the cost and arrange for designs in consultation with the Whangarei RSA and the community.

Whangarei RSA Trust chairman Archie Dixon said the new memorial would carry the names of 600 war veterans from Whangarei, especially those who died during WWII and post-WWII, and whose names had not previously been engraved in a memorial.

Despite the new memorial, he said the field of remembrance where hundreds of crosses were placed at the same venue would continue.

Today, 400 crosses would be placed during a ceremony at Laurie Hall Park to be attended by schools, sitting members of the armed forces, representatives from police and the NZ Fire Service, and war veterans.

Another 100 crosses would be added during the next 30 days.

Whangarei Mayor Sheryl Mai and the head boy of Kamo High School, Joseph Faithful, will be chief guests at today's ceremony.

Mr Dixon said Faithful would give the same speech he delivered at the regional finals of RNZ/RSA-ANZ national speech competition on New Zealanders at War.

The Whangarei Youth Music Concert Band will play, with lyrics to be sung by a broad spectrum of age groups, from youths to senior citizens.

Mr Dixon said over the next 30 days, people would have an opportunity to personalise the crosses in memory of their loved ones killed in action or died of wounds during the war.

The placement of crosses in Whangarei began in 2010.

Rehearsal for cross placements will start at 9.30am. This year marks a century since the beginning of World War I.