Sign In / Register
Under grey skies that felt appropriate for the occasion, at least a couple of hundred people of all ages gathered around the Warkworth war memorial for fall-in before the start of the Anzac Civic Service.
It wasn’t long before bagpipes filled the chilly mid-morning air, with the pipe band leading the procession of service personnel both past and present down Church Hill to the cenotaph opposite the rotunda.
World War II veteran and centenarian Ivan Emirali, who was anchored in Tokyo Bay on the HMNZS Gambia in 1945 when Japan surrendered, was part of the parade.
Emirali’s nephew, retired senior Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) commander and former Chief of Air Force Peter Stockwell marched next to him.
The Australian and New Zealand national anthems preceded a number of speakers, including Warkworth RSA president Geoff Copestake, who commemorated veterans from not just World War I, but all theatres of conflict.
The hope was voiced that one day no new names would need to be added to NZ war memorials.
A biplane timed its flyover perfectly and punctuated the speeches.
The service concluded with a rousing rendition of the bugle call ‘Taps’.
Keidis Watts
Keidis Watts says he’s always loved hearing stories from his grandparents about soldiers who served, especially the Maori Battalion.
“Anzac Day is a time where I can really embrace all these stories that I’ve been told and appreciate all the sacrifices made by the Maori Battalion and all the other soldiers who fought.”
The 15-year-old says it was great seeing people his age at the Warkworth service.
“It’s really cool seeing students from Mahurangi College come and be a part of this.”
