NZDF marks Anzac Day with conflict anniversaries front of mind

Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel attended and participated in scores of dawn and morning Anzac Day services on Saturday in remembrance of all New Zealanders who have served in war, warlike conflicts and peacekeeping missions. 

Senior NZDF personnel represented the New Zealand military at ceremonies in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, as well as South Korea, where a NZ Army platoon is training alongside local troops.

Further afield, the day will be commemorated by staff stationed in South Sudan, the Middle East and in the United Kingdom, where Ukrainian troops are being trained. 

In Türkiye, a contingent of NZDF personnel are supporting and participating in commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Tony Davies, at the national service at Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington, said people gathered to honour those who have served New Zealand and put service before self. 

“We remember those who, in moments of great uncertainty and danger, placed the needs of others above their own — not for recognition or reward, but because it was right to serve. 

“That spirit was present on the shores of Gallipoli, carried through the hardships of two world wars, and sustained across decades of peacekeeping, conflict, and humanitarian service.

“We honour those who did not return, and we acknowledge the families who carry their absence still. Their sacrifice is woven into our national story and into our shared identity.”

This year marks 110 years since the New Zealand Division arrived on the Western Front during the First World War.

Anzac Day 1946 was the first peacetime Anzac Day commemorated since 1940. At this time many thousands of New Zealand men and women had returned from war and were busy re-establishing themselves in civilian life. About 69,000 New Zealanders were Second World War veterans.

This year is the 75th anniversary of Kap’yong (April 1951), where the Commonwealth Brigade fought a defensive battle against a Chinese division at Kap’yong  in South Korea. Filling a gap in the United Nations line, the Royal New Zealand Artillery’s 16 Field Regiment played a vital supporting role. 

It also marks the 25th anniversary of the arrival of New Zealand combat troops in Afghanistan (the first NZSAS deployment arrived in Kandahar in December 2001). 

Air Marshal Davies noted that this year was the first time contemporary veterans were officially recognised as part of Anzac Day. 

“Their service continues quietly, often unseen, yet always grounded in the same values of duty, courage, and commitment.

“Across generations, services, and missions, there is a bond that endures — a bond of shared purpose and shared sacrifice. It binds past to present, and it binds all who serve, in uniform and in support, to something greater than themselves.

“As we remember, may we also recommit — to service, to each other, and to the values that Anzac Day calls us to uphold.”