French frigate to participate in ANZAC commemorations

French frigate « Vendémiaire » to participate in ANZAC commemorations

Press release

Embassy of France in New Zealand
Wellington, April 21 2015

Following her participation in the humanitarian efforts in Vanuatu, FNS Vendémiaire will arrive in Wellington on the 22nd of April in anticipation of the ANZAC centenary commemorations.

During the Vendémiaire’s visit, her sailors will attend the Dawn service parade on official duty alongside New Zealand Defence Force troops, to commemorate the centenary of the Gallipoli landings. Commander Hervé Siret will also attend four official ceremonies in Wellington throughout ANZAC Day.

The Vendémiaire’s visit coincides with France’s wider participation in the World War One commemorations in 2015. Also participating in ANZAC commemorations will be a delegation of French senators led by Mr. Jean-Marie Vanlerenberghe, President of the inter-parliamentary France-New Zealand Friendship group and a delegation from the French city of Arras, led by the mayor, Mr. Frédéric Leturque. Additionally, as part of a campaign of recognition to honour New Zealand veterans who contributed to the liberation of France, eight veterans were awarded the medal of the Knight of the Legion of Honour on Tuesday the 14th of April by Ambassador of France to New Zealand, H.E. Mrs Florence Jeanblanc-Risler.

FNS Vendémiaire

An important mission of the French frigate is to participate in humanitarian actions. With her home port being in Noumea, New Caledonia, the Vendémiaire and her 95 sailors were quick to join the call to aid in Vanuatu, which was recently devastated by Cyclone Pam. The Vendémiaire left Noumea on the 18th of March with a representative of New Caledonia’s Red Cross and a dozen soldiers from Marine Infantry Regiment of the Pacific-New Caledonia. The French frigate served as a logistics platform, and her two helicopters were able to deliver cargo to inaccessible areas and brought medical assistance to the population.

Frigate Vendémiaire was the fifth of a series of 6 ships built in Saint-Nazaire shipyard in 1993 by « chantiers de l’Atlantique ». Her name refers to the month of grape harvest in the calendar of the eighteen century French revolution (22nd of September to 21st of October). Frigate Vendémiaire is the second French vessel that has been called by this name after a submarine of the “pluviose” series (1905).

Other missions of the boat include:

- Surveillance of overseas areas under French sovereignty

- EEZ surveillance

- fisheries protection

- anti-smuggling

- anti-pollution

- maritime domain awareness and police patrol

A surface warfare specialist, Commander Hervé Siret became the commanding officer of the patrol ship « Le Vendémiaire » on August 1st 2015. A member of the Navy for twenty years, Commander Siret has participated in maritime missions in French Guyana, The Mediterranean Sea and the Indian and Atlantic Oceans.

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