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28 November 2006
The New Zealand Memorial in London’s Hyde Park was officially dedicated by Her Majesty the Queen on what was a bitterly cold Remembrance Day afternoon.
The Queen was greeted at the ceremony by a 120-strong tri-service NZDF Royal Guard of Honour, lined up against the memorial’s 16 towering bronze standards.
Her Majesty inspected the guard of honour accompanied by the Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae and Guard Commander Squadron Leader Nick Olney.
The Queen told the audience that New Zealanders had written themselves into a special place in history books. “Many of them for deeds of exceptional bravery and sacrifice, but most of them for simply giving their all in duty, in courage, and in dogged determination to fight for peace and freedom from tyranny.”
Her Majesty said the “Southern Stand” memorial – which she described as “striking” – was built to remember men and women of New Zealand and Britain who shared the hardships of war, and those who had died.
Her Majesty spoke of the strong and enduring bonds between New Zealand and Britain, and said it was a privilege to be among so many New Zealand veterans, whom she called friends.
The Prime Minister of New Zealand, the Right Honourable Helen Clark, also spoke at the ceremony. She said the memorial project began with a desire to commemorate the shared sacrifice of New Zealanders and British people during war. However, the project acquired a deeper meaning, she said, as New Zealand’s historical ties to Britain – stretching back almost two-and-a-half centuries to Captain James Cook’s first voyage of discovery, and resulting in large migration between Britain and New Zealand – explained why New Zealand had made such great efforts during the two world wars.
The memorial had become a “vehicle through which to express, in this ancient land of Britain with which we have so many ties, the unique national identity of New Zealand”, Ms Clark said. “[The memorial] is about what New Zealand has become in the 21st century, so it’s past, present and future.”
British Prime Minister Tony Blair said the link between the two nations was not just historic. “The bonds of friendship between our two countries remain as strong as ever. Our peoples are close, they come and go between our two countries as much as ever; we invest in each others’ economies; we share culture and sport – where friends become rivals.”
The $3million memorial was designed by architect John Hardwick-Smith and sculptor Paul Dibble, and was funded by the New Zealand Government. It will share its site at the north-east corner of Hyde Park Corner with the Australian War Memorial, which was dedicated in 2003.
Each of the 16 bronze standards is adorned with text, patterns and small sculptures, which reflect the military, historical, social, cultural and economic ties between the two countries. “Through the words and images, any New Zealander visiting the memorial will recognise home, and British people may learn something of the relationship between our two countries”, explains Paul Dibble.
Over 250 New Zealand Defence Force personnel joined veterans, members of the Royal Family, dignitaries, and hundreds of expatriate Kiwis for the 1½-hour autumn event at Hyde Park Corner. This was the largest group of Defence Force personnel to deploy to the United Kingdom since the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
The ceremony commenced in the early afternoon of 11 November, Armistice Day, when the Guard of Honour marched out of Wellington Barracks. Over 60 New Zealand and UK veterans joined the march as it left Constitution Hill for Hyde Park Corner. Flanked by the NZDF Maori Culture Group, the marchers entered the Hyde Park to the sound of “Maori Battalion”, played by the tri-service band.
Three Typhoons from RAF Base Conningby joined one of the two RNZAF Boeing 757 aircraft that brought the contingent from New Zealand in a spectacular flypast at 1,500ft above Hyde Park.
The moving kairanga and haka performances from the London-based Ngati Ranana and the NZDF Maori Culture Group, and performances by Kiwi musicians Hayley Westenra who sang both countries’ national anthem and Dave Dobbyn who performed a guitar solo of “Welcome Home” giving the ceremony a distinctly New Zealand flavour.
Wearing warrior traditional dress and carrying taiaha, the NZDF Maori Culture Group performed a rousing yet chilling version of Te Rauparaha’s most well-known haka, made famous by the All Blacks.
“The Last Post” was played by the NZ Army Band’s Lance Corporal Colin Clark.
The New Zealand flag and the Union Jack flag were hung at half mast when Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae cited the Ode to the Fallen in Maori, then Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RNZRSA) President John Campbell cited the Ode in English.
Among their audience was what was described as an “exceptional turnout” from the Royal Family, including His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh, their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall; HRH Prince William; HRH the Duke of York; HRH the Princess Royal and HRH the Duke of Kent.
The event was also attended by well-known New Zealanders such as Andrew Merhtens, Sean Fitzpatrick, Kerry Fox, David Bedingfield and Lady Pippa Blake.
Security was tight at the ceremony, which closed the busy central London intersection to the public. The ceremony was encircled by black-clad security guards, and anti-sniper units could be seen on the roofs of nearby buildings.
One-and-a-half thousand expatriate New Zealanders turned up to the event wrapped in their winter woollies – some bearing Anzac biscuits – for the Saturday afternoon ceremony, which ran from 3.00am until 4.15am on Sunday morning New Zealand time. The expatriates present said the ceremony was moving, and something to be proud of.
One 26-year-old man described the memorial as “our little piece of London”, and said he was there to pay respects to all New Zealanders who had seen war in their lifetime.
More than 250,000 New Zealanders served with British forces during the wars of the 20th Century. Thirty-two veterans of joint New Zealand and British campaigns, including World War Two, J Force, K Force, Malaya and Borneo, were flown to London as part of the official NZDF contingent.
The oldest veteran, 90-year-old Mr Ron Greaves, saw lengthy service in WWII, fighting in battles for Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy.
“I was lucky to survive, and now I’m very lucky to be over here for my mates”, the former gunner said. “I’ll be remembering some of my mates that didn’t come back.”
Captain (Retired) Harold Browett, who served with the NZ Army in Malaya in 1961, said his father had been gassed during World War One, and an uncle of his had been killed at Gallipoli. “These personal impacts in my background have given me a strong belief that our nation should be ever wary to ensure we are ready, able and willing to remember the past with gratitude, the present with thanks and preparedness for the future.”
RNZRSA President Mr Campbell said being at the ceremony “meant so much” to him and the other veterans present. “To see the memorial in Hyde Park Corner was very emotional but also marvellous. The presence of so many members of the Royal family, both prime ministers, and the hundreds of young New Zealanders attending really meant a lot to all of us.
“We know the memorial will provide a wonderful focal point for New Zealanders living in and visiting the United Kingdom, and we are very proud to be here.”
Flight Sergeant George Mana led the NZDF Maori Culture Group for the ceremony. Although the group were wearing limited apparel on the bitterly cold day – F/S Mana compared it to mid-winter Wellington – he said the performers were so keyed up on adrenaline they didn’t notice the cold until after they returned to their warm rooms.
Captain Trent Corbett described being part of the Guard of Honour as a “great experience”. “I enjoyed the opportunity to meet people from across the services, as well as to spend time with the veterans that joined us for the trip and to learn something of their experiences serving in conflicts throughout the world.”
New Zealand High Commissioner Jonathon Hunt said there are a number of significant Commonwealth and war memorials in London, but this was the first devoted to the significant bond between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.
Ten of the memorial’s standards form an angled grid with a “leader”, which contains the dedication text and is the site for laying official wreaths. Each standard is formed from two intersecting plates of bronze and, when seen from above and afar, the sculptures appear like a series of crosses hanging in the air.
The other six standards are positioned to form the shape of the Southern Cross. At night their tops will be illuminated so that the crosses look like the southern stars indicating the compass direction south – pointing the way home for wandering Kiwis.
After the ceremony, invited guests went to a function at the RAF Club. The contingent went to a function at Wellington Barracks in London. Dave Dobbyn picked up his guitar and sang to the troops, who then watched the All Blacks defeat France.
Contingent Commander Colonel Kevin Burnett congratulated the contingent on their efforts. “You can all be both collectively and individually proud of what you’ve achieved. Your performance in the ceremony was outstanding.”.
The Guard Commander, Squadron Leader Nick Olney, said that due to the Guard’s many hours of practice, two previous official parades together, and their complete dedication, they encountered “absolutely no hiccups”. The overall event also went very smoothly.
“It was definitely a day the NZDF can stand up and be proud of,” said SQNLDR Olney. “All of those who contributed, from those on parade through to those in the background to ensure it all went smoothly, every single person contributed to a magnificent event.”
He described the ceremony as an excellent mix of military pageantry, New Zealand culture and ceremony. “It evoked a number of emotions throughout the day, namely intense pride, but also sadness when you considered the number of Kiwis whose lives had been lost in times of conflict and are commemorated by this memorial. The day had it all.”
In the Presence of Royalty
Commander Shaun Fogarty said it was an honour to be New Zealand Equerry to the Queen in London for the official dedication ceremony of the New Zealand Memorial on Armistice Day.
Although New Zealand military personnel act as Equerry to the Queen when she visits New Zealand, this was the first time a New Zealander had been appointed Equerry to the Queen while Her Majesty was still in Britain.
“Buckingham Palace offered NZDF the opportunity, as they were keen to make it as much a New Zealand occasion as possible. I was honoured to be nominated by CDF, and appointed.”
He describes the Queen as a gracious and charming woman, and “you can tell she has a real soft spot for New Zealand”.
The appointment involved being the Queen’s and the Duke of Edinburgh’s military escort during the ceremony, answering their questions about the ceremony, and looking after the Queen in public, including sitting with her in the Royal Stand.
Originally he expected to only escort the Queen during the 11 November ceremony; his tasks grew, however, when Her Majesty suggested he present Prime Minister Helen Clark and her husband Professor Peter Davis to her at Buckingham Palace on 10 November.
CDR Shaun Fogarty was NZDF’s lead planner for the official dedication ceremony. He said the space allocated for the 140-man guard and Colour Party was awkward, with limited flat ground, necessitating the ceremony to be very finely tuned.
“The rehearsal the night before was a bit of a stop-start affair, with some last minute changes to the programme needing to be made. Timing was critical as we knew we had to be at a certain spot in Hyde Park at 1453 hours, and that there were four minutes allocated for us to get up on the dais to be right on cue for the national anthem, and then the RAF/RNZAF flypast at 1457 hours. On the day everything went like clockwork.”
CDR Fogarty said Squadron Leader Warren Dale (the deputy planner) did an outstanding job ensuring all the finer details were taken care of, as did the Army’s ceremonial Warrant Officer, WO1 Rowe, the Air Force Warrant Officers PJ Smith (contingent WO) and Doug Wallace (Maori Cultural Group WO), and the contingent’s Director of Music, LTCDR Keith Anderson. “The contingent of 250 NZDF personnel, led by Colonel Kevin Burnett, were fantastic ambassadors for New Zealand.”
The British military also helped considerably, providing accommodation, transport, and facilities for the New Zealanders to change out of their uniforms, and hold a reception. “They also had contingencies in place in case there were any hiccups in us flying across the world for the ceremony.”
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So, when you are assigned the Queen to look after, what’s the protocol?
CDR Fogarty: “You are briefed by the Queen’s private staff who advise you how to address Her Majesty. The first time you meet it’s, “Good morning your Majesty”, and then you address her as ‘Ma’am.’ And we were told a useful tip – it’s Ma’am as in ham, not ma’am as in farm.”
When the Prime Minister, for example, meets the Queen, a bell rings, the visitors are escorted in, announced by the equerry, who then departs. When another bell rings, the equerry re-enters the meeting room, and accompanies the visitors as they leave.
And is it a neck bow or a curtsey? “It’s a neck bow for men, and women can either curtsey or bow their head too.” |
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This page was last reviewed on 23 May 2007 and is current.
