My Account
On the afternoon of 9 October a small celebration was held in the Hibiscus Coast Community RSA sponsored by the Silverdale Branch of the Kings Empire Veterans(KEV). The occasion was in recognition of the 100th birthday of long standing KEV member John Wills.
In welcoming John, and members of his family who were supporting him, Branch KEV President Frank Townley paid tribute to John’s World War 2 service as a gunner with the 7th New Zealand Anti-Tank Regiment. John saw service in Fiji, with the 8th Army in North Africa and in Italy. Frank also commented on the fact that the Silverdale branch of the KEV has now had 3 members with 100 year birthdays.
1 RAF, 1 Navy and now John who served in the Army. As is fitting on these occasions we recite the ODE a verse in memory of fallen comrades. President Frank said it was right and fitting on the week of the 100 year commemoration of Passchendaele that we remember those Kiwis that fell and never returned from Passchendaele where 846 men were killed in one day.
Thanks to the efforts of Chandra Newman the RSA’s Support Officer(Welfare) we were able to present John with letters of congratulations from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Prime Minister Bill English, Governor General Dame Patsy Reddy and MP’s Maggy Barry Minister of Senior Citizens and Peter Dunne Minister of Internal Affairs. The National President of the KEV Ross Wardlaw traveled up from Te Awamutu for this celebration and presented John with a life membership award and accompanying lapel badge.
John who is in good shape “apart from my knees” so he tells us, had the final say in thanking all who had a part in making the day so memorable for him. As always there has to be someone who organises these special days and our thanks go to Mark Harris our Secretary /Treasurer along with the Womens section of the RSA who supplied the beautiful afternoon tea. A birthday cake with the KEV emblem on rounded of the celebration.
