Time capsule to mark Armistice centennial

War Memorabila that will be buried in the time capsule, including bullet casings, an old spoon and a bugle used for playing the Last Post. Photo / Hamilton City Council

A time capsule filled with war memorabilia will be buried at Memorial Park in Hamilton on Sunday as part of the remembrance service to mark the 100th anniversary of Armistice Day — the end of World War I — and to mark the relationship between the city and the Belgian city of Ieper.

The capsule will contain artefacts recovered from Ieper, such as a bugle used for playing the Last Post there in memory of the World War I fallen.

A large contingent of New Zealanders — including the Hamilton Light Horse Brigade — fought as part of a Commonwealth force in the area around Ieper in World War I. Many New Zealanders and Commonwealth soldiers who fought at Flanders and Passchendaele are buried in or near Ieper.

A delegation from Ieper will be at the ceremonies on Sunday.

The remembrance service will start at 10.15am, with a two minutes' silence at 11pm, followed by the Roaring Chorus at 11:02am. "The Roaring Chorus invites communities to break the silence in a way that is relevant to them, and it is great that so many communities and organisations are joining the campaign," director of the First World War Centenary Programme WW100 Sarah Davies says.

In Hamilton, a family outdoor concert and community picnic to follow the service will feature brass bands, choirs, songs and music from the World War I era, and old-style games such as egg and spoon, and sack races.

Purple poppies representing animals who died in the conflict will be available from the War Horse Trust in the afternoon. Horses will be in attendance as well for guests to interact with.