Anzac Day occurs on 25 April. It commemorates all New Zealanders killed in war and also honours returned servicemen and women.
Anzac Day
The Gallipoli campaign
We live so much under the shadow of sudden death, that one sees things very differently to ordinary times. Life is normally complicated, here it is savagely simple. Eat while you can, help all you can, sleep when and where you can, and above all, grin and keep a stiff upper lip. Even a mechanical smile is better than an anxious look. Worrying is not good for the men.
Percival Fenwick, medical officer on Gallipoli, 1915
The ceremony - Anzac Day
The Anzac Day ceremony of 25 April is rich in tradition and ritual. It is a form of military funeral and follows a particular pattern. The day's ceremonies have two major parts: one at dawn and another, more public event, later in the morning.
The dawn service
A typical commemoration begins with a march by returned service personnel before dawn to the local war memorial. Military personnel and returned servicemen and women form up about the memorial, joined by other members of the community. Pride of place goes to war veterans.
Background - the Gallipoli campaign
Within a few months of the outbreak of war (August 1914) a line of trenches stretched from Switzerland to the Belgian coast. The Germans and their Austro-Hungarian allies were on one side of the line, and on the other there were the French and British forces and their allies. Things had reached a stalemate.
The Anzacs
The word Anzac is part of the culture of New Zealanders and Australians. People talk about the 'spirit of Anzac'; there are Anzac biscuits, and rugby or rugby league teams from the two countries play an Anzac Day test. The word conjures up a shared heritage of two nations, but it also has a specific meaning.
Native Contingent at Gallipoli
Te Hokowhitu a Tu
New Zealand goes to war - First World War overview
The capture of German Samoa
Before the outbreak of war, Prime Minister W.F. Massey had made it clear that New Zealand’s main contribution would be supplying troops to the major theatre of conflict. After 5 August 1914 preparations to do this were rapidly made. But before New Zealand could commit its troops to Europe, any direct threat in the Pacific region had to be removed. The first objective was to capture German Samoa.
Landing plans - the Gallipoli campaign
The grand plan
General Sir Ian Hamilton, in charge of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force, had about a month to finalise plans for the landing of troops on the rough coastline of the Gallipoli Peninsula. There was much improvisation in the weeks preceding the landings and little time to practise.
25 April 1915 - the Gallipoli campaign
The British attack on the Gallipoli Peninsula in April 1915 depended on careful timing and planning. Even if all had gone to plan, the force would have struggled to secure its objectives, especially within the time allotted. While the British were planning their attack, the Turks stockpiled ammunition and other supplies. The German General Otto Liman van Sanders, in charge of the 5th Army, which was defending the Dardanelles, had six first-rate Turkish divisions at his disposal.
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