Preparations before the Armistice Day service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo / Dean Purcell
Preparations before the Armistice Day service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Photo / Dean Purcell
KEY POINTS:
Prime Minister Helen Clark has joined an Armistice Day ceremony in Auckland, commemorating the formal end of the First World War.
Miss Clark spoke to several hundred military personnel and family members gathered for the service at the Auckland War Memorial Museum.
A national commemorative service was heldat the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul this morning, and RSA across New Zealand marked the moment with a moment of silence.
To further mark the day, the RSA awarded its highest honour, the Badge In Gold, to 22 New Zealanders, with the Governor-General officiating.
The Badge in Gold has today been awarded posthumously to 21 people who received the Victoria Cross while serving during the New Zealand Wars, the South African War at the turn of the century, and also the two World Wars.
RSA spokesman Bill Hopper said the Badge in Gold was also awarded to Corporal Willie Apiata, in recognition of his courage in Afghanistan in 2004.
The first recipient of the Badge of Gold, in 1920, was the Prince of Wales, who later became King Edward VIII.
There are currently six living recipients of the Badge in Gold.
The most recent was awarded to Second World War saboteur Nancy Wake, better known to the Gestapo as the "White Mouse".
The Armistice was signed to mark the end of World War One at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month, 1918, 89 years ago today.
