

Surreal experience for Great-Grandson of Gallipoli veteran
The emotions brought up from following in the footsteps of his great-grandfather through the bloodied battlefields of the Gallipoli campaign snuck up on Chief Petty Officer Nicholas Hunter.
28 April, 2022
In Turkey as part of the New Zealand Defence Force Anzac Day 2022 contingent, the Seamanship Combat Specialist struggled to put into words his experience as he paid respect to those who served and lost their lives in World War I.
“It’s been a privilege to come this far and know that they landed down on that beach somewhere and they came up the ridges that we came up, and the fighting that ensued… it’s surreal. It’s hard to put into words, and all the emotions that go with it,” he said.
Chief Petty Officer Hunter’s great-grandfather, Corporal Victor Eather, was in the Auckland Infantry Regiment and served on the peninsula in June 1915.
He survived his time at Gallipoli and went on to serve in the Western Front in 1916, before returning back to New Zealand.
Chief Petty Officer Hunter, originally from Rotorua, said it meant a lot to be selected as a site liaison officer for Anzac Day commemorations and it provided him the chance to learn more about what his great-grandfather lived through.
As part of the contingent’s role in Turkey, battlefield tours are conducted to understand the stories and history of the areas where commemorations take place, and it’s here where Chief Petty Officer Hunter felt the true weight of the meaning behind the commemoration.
“The cemeteries like Hill 60 and 12 Tree Copse are the ones that I got really emotional at. I guess when you see so many headstones that say ‘Believed to be in this site’… it is heart-wrenching, and the loss of life is just staggering, it’s hard to try to comprehend that. It has been a privilege to come and honour that, and pay respect.”
It’s not just Chief Petty Officer Hunter who has been affected by his trip to the Gallipoli peninsula.
In a message sent from home while in Gallipoli, his mother shared how she felt about him following in the footsteps of their family member.
“I feel truly emotional about you being there, not only that you are so far away in these unprecedented times, but that you are treading in the footsteps of our ancestors who did so much to fight for our countries,” she wrote.
“For you in this Defence Force, to honour those fallen, is something you and all of us will never forget.”


Brotherly link draws on emotions at Anzac service
Media Release

NZDF support to Ukraine’s self-defence underway
Media Release

Navy medic strengthens whānau link to Gallipoli campaign
Media Release

Emotional return to Gallipoli for Anzac Day services
Media Release

NZDF marks Anzac Day at home and around the world
Media Release
Anzac Day marks 40 years of NZDF service in Sinai
Media Release

Unclaimed 28 (Maori) Battalion medals identified
Media Release

Twenty two Light Armoured Vehicles sold to Chilean Navy
Media Release

RNZAF Hercules departs for Europe
Media Release

Flight to ice completes NZDF’s Operation Antarctica for summer season
Media Release

Air Force marks 85 years of service to New Zealand
Media Release

Air Force Heritage Flight takes off
Media Release

Two former RNZN Inshore Patrol Vessels sold to The Republic of Ireland
Media Release

Former Defence Chief passes away in Wellington
Media Release

Change of Command for Devonport Naval Base
Media Release

NZDF to begin drawdown from MIQ
Media Release

NZDF Leadership puts gender equality firmly in its sights
Media Release

Combined Space Operations Vision 2031 Statement released
Media Release

21-gun salute for Jubilee of Queen’s accession
Media Release

NZ Navy's new replenishment vessel sails on maiden voyage to Antarctica
Media Release

NZDF ready to assist West Coast communities
Media Release

NZDF support to Tonga continues to deliver
Media Release

Bamyan firing ranges clearance completed
Media Release

NZ Navy leadership ends Arabian Gulf mission with $15M drug bust
Media Release

NZDF’s support to Tonga Response ramps up
Media Release

NZDF support to Tonga: 17 January
Media Release

Holiday drug bust by Kiwi-Led Navy operation in Arabian Sea
Media Release

Three NZDF personnel recognised in New Year Honours List
Media Release

Meri Kirihimete from the New Zealand Defence Force
Media Release

Interceptions by NZ-led naval task force seize $US26 million in illegal drugs
Media Release
NZDF personnel deploy to Solomon Islands as part of inter-agency stability mission
Media Release

RNZAF Hercules transports PPE, medical supplies to Papua New Guinea
Media Release

NZDF ship, aircraft help ensure Pacific fishing rules are followed
Media Release

NZ tops global transparency rating for Defence and security sector
Media Release

Bravery and compassion from Australian Bushfire Assist deployment commended
Media Release

United States Navy Ship to visit New Zealand
Media Release

Expert Review Group Report Released
Media Release

RNZAF Orion crew find missing Kiribati sailors
Media Release

NZDF investigates alleged Auckland border breach
Media Release

New Zealand-led operation seizes drugs in Indian Ocean
Media Release

Pronounced safety focus for RNZAF and CAA during Māori Language Week
Media Release

NZDF exercises with international counterparts in South East Asia
Media Release

Personnel deployed on Afghanistan evacuations return to New Zealand
Media Release

NZDF boosts Wellington drive-through vaccination effort
Media Release

Air Force Veteran and New Zealand's oldest person passes away
Media Release

New Zealand Army's role in evacuation mission involved 'bravery on both sides'
Media Release

Navy personnel and accommodation facility test negative for COVID-19
Media Release

Statement from the Chief of Defence Force: Media Reports
Media Release

First 'Lead Teams' leadership programme underway in Tonga next week
Media Release

Statement from the Chief of Defence Force regarding situation in Afghanistan
Media Release

Delivery of COVID-19 vaccines to Palmerston Island completed
Media Release
Air Force Hercules in US for international exercise
Media Release

Royal Canadian Navy frigate to visit Auckland
Media Release

Delivery of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccines to Tokelau complete
Media Release

Buller Flood Support
Media Release

RNZAF carries out medevac from Antarctica
Media Release

RNZAF carrying out low-flying around Manawatū, Rangitikei & Whanganui
Media Release

Bamyan firing range clearance passes halfway point
Media Release

Chief of the NZDF announces awards for Whakaari White Island response
Media Release

NZDF continues to assist in Canterbury flooding response
Media Release

2020 Minister of Defence Awards of Excellence
Media Release

Statement by Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Kevin Short on the death of His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Media Release

Two NZDF personnel test positive for COVID-19
Media Release
