NZ at Noon: Marking Anzac Day

LEST WE FORGET: Crowds of Rotorua people attended today's Anzac Day dawn ceremony at Ohinemutu, which was followed by a civic reception. Photo / Ben Fraser

Across the country dawn services and parades have marked Anzac day.

The "young, old, fit and frail" were among thousands who descended on Ohinemutu before the sun rose this morning to help commemorate Anzac Day.

As dawn lifted bagpipes resounded across Lake Rotorua heralding in the day of remembrance "lest we forget" the sacrifice of thousands who gave their lives for our freedom.

In Hamilton thousands of people broke out into spontaneous applause as the annual Anzac Day parade made its waty to the Cenotaph in Memorial Park.

British Royal Navy veteran Bill Chapman, who has lived in Tauranga for the past 18 years, shares his story, to tell people that the Navy - not just the Army and Air Force - had an important part to play in World War II.

Phil Lamason was born in Napier and educated at Napier Boys' High School, where he admits he was "a bit of a ratbag". He recalls his amazing story of flying his Avro Lancaster bomber on missions over Germany.

Rangiora World War 2 veteran and tank driver Alan Burgess, 91, fought his way through Egypt and Italy to Monte Cassino and on to Florence.He went expecting adventure but says it wasn't worth seeing his friends die.

Masterton's Queen Elizabeth Park has had a facelift in time for Anzac Day, with the demolition of the bird aviaries and the painting of the main entrance gates, where for the first time a student was the official guest speaker. Wairarapa College student Hannah Minnell said she felt honoured to be able to explain what Anzac Day meant to her.

In Wanganui more than 3000 scarlet poppies tied with a small twig of rosemary, for remembrance, were placed beside every grave in the Aramoho Cemetery yesterday.
The Wanganui RSA Women's Section, with the help of Wanganui City College students from the school's military service academy, tucked each poppy and rosemary frond in place along the rows.

Poppy production might have been outsourced to Australia and China, but Fenwick Primary School pupils have been making their own. Every day this week the children have been learning the history of Anzac Day.

Trending on Twitter today: #Anzac, #LestWeForget, Gallipoli and Dawn Service.