The Howick Returned and Services Association (RSA) is planning a fitting commemoration programme for Armistice Day remembrance.
Armistice Day, next Monday, November 11, is traditionally observed with a minute’s silence at 11 minutes past the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, to acknowledge the signing of the armistice (truce) held at that time to mark the end of World War I in 1918.
“Armistice Day has been an important commemorative day throughout the [British] Commonwealth since shortly after the end of that war,” says Howick RSA president, Barry Dreyer.
“It remains an important commemorative day in New Zealand to honour the sacrifices of the nearly 17,000 soldiers that were killed in the New Zealand forces during the war.
“Almost 17 per cent of those serving in New Zealand’s uniform during that war were killed.
“This does not count the 3370 New Zealanders who were serving in Australian and other British forces.”
On Monday, the Howick RSA official programme will be held at the Stockade Hill cenotaph.
“The Howick RSA will be commemorating Armistice Day with a service to recognise the sacrifices made by the people of New Zealand during the First World War,” says Dreyer.
Attendees are invited to be there from 10.45am, and Dreyer will lay wreaths on behalf of the RSA at 10.59am.
At 11am, the Last Post will sound, flags will be lowered, the Ode of Remembrance will be recited in the Maori and English languages, there’ll be a one-minute silence, then Reveille will play as flags are raised again.
Dreyer will next make a speech and says, “the public are invited to attend the commemoration and lay their own tributes and pay respects to those that fell.”
He says among those attending will be Derek Priscott and his family.
“Derek’s father John Priscott was a long-time Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy man.
“John joined the Royal Navy in 1939 serving throughout the Mediterranean where his ship was bombed then torpedoed.
“As a member of the 20-strong skeleton crew they managed to save the ship which lived to fight again in the D-Day landings,” Dreyer says.
“After the war he transferred to the Royal New Zealand Navy and emigrated to Auckland in 1951.
“Aboard HMNZS Black Prince, which escorted the Queen on her 1953 royal tour, he attended the Spithead review and the Coronation.
“He was aboard HMNZS Pukaki during all the British nuclear testing in the Pacific, as well as with Sir Edmund Hillary on his expedition to the Antarctic.
“John Priscott’s family have finally received the medal awarded to those that were involved in the British nuclear testing.”
Dreyer says of the New Zealand forces personnel that were in WWI, there were about 58,000 casualties, killed and wounded, from the 98,000 who served.
“For a young and small nation this was an horrendous sacrifice and was immediately followed by the influenza epidemic which added to the casualty list for our nation.
“It’s an important day. It marks the end of the imperial era, and the start of a relatively independent New Zealand, no longer strongly tied to Britain, as we forged our own way in the world.”
