Anzac Day services: Thousands pay tribute despite heavy rain

At Mt Maunganui, wreaths were laid at the RSA after rain forced the service inside. Picture / Alan Gibson

Smaller centres around the country reported record turnouts for yesterday's Anzac Day services, particularly among young people.

Nearly 600 members of the public and 70 old soldiers attended the Northern Wairoa Returned Services Association's service at the RSA Cemetery in Dargaville.

"It was a massive crowd there today - the biggest we have ever had," said RSA vice-president Warren Osbaldiston. "It has been building up every year."

In Bluff, home of the country's most southerly RSA, about 100 people attended the dawn service at the Grove Memorial.

Bluff RSA secretary Bruce Henderson said the numbers were about the same as previous years but there was a growing awareness of the parades later in the day, particularly among young people.

"It is encouraging for us because we are a dying breed," said Mr Henderson, who served in Malaya and Borneo. "It makes me feel good. It makes me feel very proud."

In Kaitaia, home of the country's northernmost RSA, president Wynn Wells said the turnout of young people was a great encouragement to the RSA members.

"It means a lot to us. Young people want to know what happened to their grandfathers and their great-grandfathers."

About 90 old soldiers and about 250 members of the public turned out.

Among the other Anzac services held around the country yesterday:

WELLINGTON

About 5000 people gathered at the Cenotaph in perfect conditions for the dawn service. The ground shook as a gun was fired at 5.45am to herald the dawn. Hymns were sung and band music played.

RSA national president John Campbell said young New Zealanders did not realise how much it meant for the veterans to see them at the dawn service.

"The spirit of Anzac is as relevant today as it was all those years ago," he said.

He also asked the crowd to remember New Zealand's Vietnam veterans.

"They went because they were sent ... and they felt betrayed by the nation when they returned. We hope no New Zealander has to return to the country the Vietnam veterans returned to."

Seven-year-old Kate Montu, great-granddaughter of the late Sir Howard Kippenberger, who fought in both world wars, said the ceremony was exciting. Her 5-year-old sister, Charlotte, said she wanted to be a soldier when she grew up.

A vigil was mounted at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior until 6 o'clock last night.

WHANGAREI

Many children were among the estimated 2000 people who gathered for the dawn parade.

Many of them were "uniformed youth", as RSA president Archie Dixon described them - Navy, Army and Air Force cadets, Scouts and Guides, school parties.

Others were in civvies but decorated with their grandparents' or other forebears' medals.

As in many parts of the country, the ceremony was held amid heavy rain, which left many of the participants drenched.

ROTORUA

A retired lieutenant colonel urged Maori to "be proud" and "stand tall" in honour of young warriors who sacrificed their lives in war.

Aubrey Balzer, the guest speaker at Rotorua's dawn service at the Muruika Services Cemetery, said no other infantry battalion had a more distinguished record, saw more fighting or had such heavy casualties as 28 Maori Battalion

Children, teenagers, parents and grandparents stood side-by-side and arm-in-arm and sheltered themselves under buildings, umbrellas and hats to be part of the early-morning service.

Mr Balzer encouraged Maori to be proud because "our young warriors earned us the right to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the other freedom-loving peoples of the world".

He highlighted the tragedies faced by the Maori Battalion - 640 soldiers killed, or one in every six who served - and 2598 Maori casualties.

"We, as a small race, paid dearly with the lives and blood of the finest young men of our people. They did so for the love of their country - Aotearoa - and so that we here in New Zealand could continue to live in the freedom, in the peace and the harmony, all of which are precious to us all," said Mr Balzer, who served in World War II.

MT MAUNGANUI

Rain forced the Mt Maunganui ceremony indoors for the first time in 20 years, to the RSA instead of at the cenotaph.

Hundreds of cars streamed down a wild, windy Marine Parade only to be turned around.

The Mount RSA's caretaker, Eddie Pinkerton, braved the heavy rain and cold to redirect the public as they arrived at the cenotaph.

"It's amazing how many people are still coming out," he said.

"We had the [loud]speakers out this morning and they were all blown over. The chairs were flying everywhere."

However, some people were determined to confront the pouring rain to lay a poppy at the cenotaph.

"This is nothing compared to what they went through," said Lynn Woodyard, who visited the monument with her daughter Amy to pay tribute to her father, who was a wing commander in the Royal Air Force in World War II.

Nearly 2000 people packed the RSA for the service.

President Ces Hughes said the ceremony lost some of its atmosphere by being inside, but the turnout was impressive - especially the number of younger faces.

"More and more people, especially the youngsters are coming ... I think this is because at the Mount we have a team visiting all schools explaining poppy day and Anzac Day," he said. "The other reason is that there is a lot more publicity in the media about it."

BULLS

RSA vice-president Iain Trott said Bulls had its biggest parade for many years.

"About 400 people turned out, and for a little town like us [that] is really wonderful," he said.

The dawn service started at 6am and at 6.15am two Air Force Iroquois helicopters flew past as people lay wreaths on the cenotaph.

Unlike many parts of the country, the weather was fine for the service, but rained later in the day.

"There was a mixture of all sorts of people," Mr Trott said, "and I was quite impressed with the number of young people who came up and laid poppies on the cenotaph. To me that topped it off."

He said there were no speeches at the RSA, where everybody gathered after the service. "They're all too busy trying to get to the bar."

MOTUEKA

Around 350 people battled torrential rain to attend the dawn service.

"We were very pleased with the number of people we got, because a lot of people didn't come out because of the rain," Motueka RSA secretary/ manager Warwick Burke said.

The service ended up being held in the local hall, next door to the memorial, because of the weather.

Following the dawn service, the RSA put on breakfast for around 300 people.

REEFTON

Bad weather also forced the main service indoors at Reefton.

"For the second time in 40 years we had to have our service in the war memorial hall rather than at the cenotaph," RSA past president Dom O'Sullivan said.

The dawn service drew as big a crowd as ever, he said.

"It was very impressive, with about 50 people attending."

RIVERTON

RSA secretary Murray Fraser, whose father was a returned serviceman, said around 80 people attended the dawn parade at 7am.

"That's about 10 to 15 people up on last year. It's getting more and more every year."

- NZPA, NORTHERN ADVOCATE, BOP TIMES, DAILY POST