Students To Represent Those That Died In Two World Wars

Next Sunday (November 8th) more than 100 students from Takapuna Grammar School and the Intermediate and Primary Schools in the Devonport/Takapuna area will Walk to Remember with veterans and service personnel from the Devonport RSA as they march to the Remembrance Day Commemoration Service being held at Devonport’s War Memorial.

The students will wear black T-shirts with a logo designed by local artist and member of the Devonport RSA Executive Committee, Tony McNeight. The logo on the front of the shirt has a large poppy with the words I Walk to Remember above.

“ Each young person wearing this shirt represents one person lost from Devonport and brings the message home significantly,” said Artist Tony McNeight, “it is an idea I am hoping that the whole of New Zealand will embrace in the future.”

RSA President Howard Mace said “the Commemoration Service will commence at 11.00 am, and the young people are joining with us to recognise and pay their respects to those from the Devonport community who became casualties of war: the dead, the wounded (physically or psychologically) - whether sailor, soldier, airman or merchant navy and the families who suffered, the civilian casualties and the conscientious objectors.”

Howard Mace went on to say “While Remembrance Day in New Zealand is officially recognised on the day that 11 November falls each year , the Devonport RSA decided to ‘Sundayise’ it this year for a number of reasons including; that we’ve not officially commemorated Anzac Day in Devonport for two years; and also to give the Devonport community a chance to participate as 11 November falls on a Wednesday. We are also adopting the practice of a Remembrance Sunday commemoration as traditionally observed in the UK and Europe to recognise the contribution of British and Commonwealth servicemen and women and civilians in the two World Wars and in later conflicts.

He added “the Auckland Council and Community Board, the Navy, and the New Zealand Police have all been very supportive of the change we have made.”

Remembrance Day was first observed in 1919 throughout the British Commonwealth. It was originally called “Armistice Day” to commemorate the armistice agreement that ended the First World War on Monday, November 11, 1918, at 11 a.m.—on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. All was quiet on the Western Front in Europe as guns fell silent and fighting ceased. The (First World) War was over. of hostilities.

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