Fifty Telegrams
Our contingent conducted a special act of remembrance for the 50 New Zealand soldiers buried in the Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery Extension on 1 November in France.
The 44-member contingent was led into the cemetery by the Māori Cultural Group and the Regimental Colour of 7th Wellington (City of Wellington’s Own) and Hawke’s Bay Battalion was marched on to the ‘Wellington March’.
LTCOL Mel Childs, wearing the Ngā Tapuwae kahu huruhuru, welcomed attendees from the Le Quesnoy community and New Zealanders who have travelled to the liberation of Le Quesnoy centenary commemorations. As each member of the contingent read out the personal details of the soldier whose grave they stood in front of, the sky opened and the rain wet the headstones.
In France the first day of November is All Saints Day, a public holiday, when French traditionally visit the graves of family members.
The 100th anniversary of the liberation of Le Quesnoy will be marked in Le Quesnoy, France, on 4 November 2018. The official commemorations include the National Commemorative Service at 11.00am (11.00pm NZ time) and a Last Post Ceremony at 5.00pm (5.00am Monday 5 November NZ time).
