New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa
Media Release
Thursday 12 November, 2009

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY SERVICE

New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) personnel will play an important part at a Remembrance Sunday service at the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, Wellington starting at 10.00am on Sunday 15 November.

This service is held annually to remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives during service to their country and to also remember NZDF personnel who are currently deployed on operational service overseas.

The service will involve a colourful flag parade including the Navy's Queen’s Colour, the Regimental Colours and Banners of the NZ Army, and the Queen's Colour and Squadron Standards of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Musical accompaniment will be provided by the NZ Army Band and the Pipes and Drums of the 5th Wellington West Coast Taranaki Battalion Group.

The service will be attended by their Excellencies the Governor General of New Zealand, the Honorable Sir Anand Satyanand, and Lady Satyanand. NZDF personnel will include the Chief of the Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, Chief of Navy, Rear Admiral Tony Parr, Chief of Army, Major General Rhys Jones, and Chief of Air Force, Air Vice-Marshal Graeme Lintott.

The Order of Service will be conducted by The Very Reverend Frank Nelson, Dean of Wellington with participation from Principal Defence Chaplain Don Parker and Service Chaplains and Padres.

BACKGROUND:

At 11am on 11 November 1918, the Armistice marked the moment when hostilities ceased on the Western Front. The "eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month" thereafter became universally associated with the remembrance of those who died in the First World War.

After the Second World War, the British and New Zealanders both agreed to the change the name and date of Armistice Day to Remembrance Day, now observed on the second Sunday of November. Armistice Day was no longer viewed as an appropriate title for a day which would commemorate the war dead on both World Wars. Remembrance Sunday in effect 'Sundayised' the observance of Armistice Day. The first Armistice Day was in 1946 and New Zealanders were requested to observe two minutes silence at 11am.

In addition to observing Armistice Day, Remembrance Sunday has become a universal time of commemoration, when all men and woman who have died in service to their country are commemorated at church services around New Zealand.

ENDS

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