NZ Unknown Soldier Returns Home

[h_rnzir]

Almost ninety years after he was killed in the First World War, the remains of New Zealand's unknown warrior have returned home.

The soldier, killed in 1916 on the Somme in France, will be interred at a special tomb at the National War Memorial tomorrow.

A 50-member guard of honour formed for the soldier at the Royal New Zealand Air Force's Wellington base at Rongotai this morning, as six pallbearers -- representing the three services -- carried him to a private Defence Force ceremony.

His casket, draped in a New Zealand flag, was to be taken from Rongotai to lie in state at Parliament's Legislative Council Chamber for almost a day, before a memorial service and the interment ceremony.

The arrival of the Hercules was met with silence at the airport.

The aircraft remained, with engines running, on the tarmac until exactly 10am, when its cargo hold door was opened, and the slow-marching bearer party carried the coffin out to a traditional Maori welcome.

Honorary pallbearers, including the Chief of Defence Force Air Marshall Bruce Ferguson, and the heads of the army, air force and navy, met the casket at the base of the aircraft, while the honour guard saluted.

A lone piper played a lament as he was carried indoors.

The identity of the soldier remains unknown.

He was removed from an unmarked grave in the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery near the village of Longueval, France, last month by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

While officials say he is definitely a New Zealander, they have not said what was found in the grave with him.

More than 30,000 New Zealanders have been killed in wars since the start of last century.

The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior will be sealed after tomorrow's interment ceremony.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz

[b.scheller]

Rest in peace

LEST WE FORGET

[EvanL]

Another great warrior of the great war comes home to rest.
May his soul finally be repatriated with his country. And his country with his soul.

[taiaha]

I have to ask this question: how do they really know that the Unknown Warrior that they're bringing home to Aotearoa is really a Kiwi?

[Flagg]

I have to ask this question: how do they really know that the Unknown Warrior that they're bringing home to Aotearoa is really a Kiwi?

It's my understanding that the personnel responsible were able to ascertain without doubt the national identity of the Unknown Warrior via evidence like uniform, webbing, kit, etc.

[taiaha]

Thanks Flagg. May He Rest In Peace.

[fantassin]

Those KIAs who got a grave were the lucky one during WWI.

On France's 1,375,000 KIAs of WWI, more than 300,000 were listed as missing and their bodies were never found because of the volume of fire expended in places like Verdun when 50% casualty rate was the norm for the Infantry.

Those shells churned the earth and the corpses...in the Douaumont ossuary in Verdun alone lay the remains of over 130,000 KIAs.

RIP

[Ngati Tumatauenga]

I'm truly sorry, but I don't know your name.
But at last you've returned to your anonymous fame.
Whose son were you soldier?
Someones heart was asunder when you fell in strange fields where the guns roared like thunder.
Did you huddle in fear and ask what's it for? As you took arms and fought in that bloody war.
You're my hero my friend.
You did it for me, and for my children who grow, standing taller and free. So welcome back soldier, sleep softly at home.
Your name is well known, to God alone.

fantassin wrote,

Those KIAs who got a grave were the lucky one during WWI.



No. Getting killed in action isn't lucky by any means.

Luck is having warriors from a nation half a world away come to your countries aid, not once but twice in fifty years.

In 1914 New Zealand's population was approximately one million people.

One hundred thousand deployed overseas.

Over eighteen thousand died in the service of their country.

Of those approx twelve thousand died in france.

[fantassin]

"Come to the rescue....", yes of course; France was not in need of rescuing in WW1, it was a battlefield.

I am sure all the Commonwealth countries (and all the others who fought in France) were happy not to have to fight on their own soil, not to see their country savaged and their civilian population killed.

Always better to have the battlefield in somebody's else's country.

BTW, I am not surprised by your stupid comment, you jump on anything with either "France" or my avatar on it.

Get over it you little man.

[Flagg]

"Come to the rescue....", yes of course; France was not in need of rescuing in WW1, it was a battlefield.

I am sure all the Commonwealth countries (and all the others who fought in France) were happy not to have to fight on their own soil, not to see their country savaged and their civilian population killed.

Always better to have the battlefield in somebody's else's country.

BTW, I am not surprised by your stupid comment, you jump on anything with either "France" or my avatar on it.

Get over it you little man.

Personally, I like to think the ANZAC soldiers of the day stepped forward out of a sense of duty and honour, rather than necessity...and I doubt they were "happy" about it......but they did it.

I still have yet to find an historical example of greater loss(measured in terms of personnel killed in action as percentage of population) than that suffered by New Zealand at Passchendaele...known to many as the Third Battle of Ypres......

I just wish I could have made it up to Wellington a day early on my way to Waiouru for the ceremony.

[fantassin]

Quote:

I like to think the ANZAC soldiers of the day stepped forward out of a sense of duty and honour, rather than necessity...and I doubt they were "happy" about it

Of course, that is NOT in doubt; but there can also be no doubt that those courageous men were happy the fighting would not have to be done on their own soil.

Who wouldn't ?

[garoco]

Rest in Peace

[Ngati Tumatauenga]

fantassin wrote,

"Come to the rescue....", yes of course; France was not in need of rescuing in WW1, it was a battlefield.

Who said anything about rescue?, I said aid. Do try and get your facts right.




I am sure all the Commonwealth countries (and all the others who fought in France) were happy not to have to fight on their own soil, not to see their country savaged and their civilian population killed.

No. They would have been 'happy' if France had been able to look after itself without aid from other countries. They would have been 'happy' if the French in general didn't suffer from a massive case of institutionalised arrogance.


Always better to have the battlefield in somebody's else's country.

Always better to blame others rather than accept responsibility for your own actions.


BTW, I am not surprised by your stupid comment, you jump on anything with either "France" or my avatar on it.

Yeah?, got any proof to back up that hysterical claim?


Get over it you little man.

Still can't accept the crushing defeat delivered to your 'great' nation by the 'insignificant' little country at the bottom of the South Pacific, eh?.

Ah the French, so emotional. If only you could channel some of that into professionalism within your armed forces.

Anyway, this isn't about you so stop hijacking the thread. Haven't you got enough to keep you occupied on the Ivory Coast?.......

[NicNZ]

Ive said it in another post somewhere on the boards -- It continues to surprise me the way that our grandparents (and parents) flocked to sign up for WWI and WWII. I'll be travelling to France one day to visit the graves of my family. Hmm.

[RFSU]

R.I.P. ANZAC

[TheKiwi]

RIP Bloke. Good to have you home.