Passchendaele concert, Belgium - October 4, 07

[Stephany]

Good Morning Chris, Drew, Caite and everybody!

Chris, thank you very, very much for your lovely pictures of Belgium. It certainly looks as though it was a very special event, especially for you and all the Kiwi soldiers. I have attended many ceremonies like this one in France to commemorate the deaths of soldiers who came from all over the world to fight and free a country - my country - during the two World Wars. We owe them so much. Another short clip of Hayley: Clark calls for Passchendaele annual service

Stephany

[Mark]

Hi everyone

A very special thanks to Chris Caitlin & Drew for managing to post a brief report as soon as you got home from what must have been an exhausting day. However, I am absolutely sure every minute of it was worth it

Thanks for the pics so far Chris & Caitlin Drew, your comments about what happened to Hayley after the first TV interview have me worried - was Hayley ok ?

I am really looking forward to hearing all about it and some more photos.

Mark

[grant]

Hello Everyone

It sounds like you had a fabulous day and an unforgettable experience and I look forward to hearing all about it and seeing the pictures. What I've seen so far look amazing.

Mark, I know the story of Sir Francis Drake, he threw his cape over a puddle for Elizabeth 1st I believe, so I can only imagine that Hayley stepped in, or worse still, fell in a puddle.

I know we hate to see anything bad happen to Hayley; at the first Gawsworth concert, the grass was very damp and she almost fell when coming onto stage for the first time. My heart was in my mouth for a few seconds, but she soon regained her composure and laughed it off.

Come on Drew, put us out of our misery!

Best wishes
Grant

[drew]

When I arrived in Calais it was a beautiful sunny day and the weather continued favourably until 'the sun went down'.

It had obviously been raining heavily the previous day as there was standing water in the fields surrounding Ypres and evidence of water at the edges of the matting within the concert marquee. Hayley was interviewed by one TV crew after the concert on the lawn behind Zonnebeke Chateau. I chatted briefly to Gerald whilst this was proceeding and a number of people came up to Gerald to pay tribute to Hayley's performance.

After the interview, Hayley turned to walk back to the chateau to join Gerald, Kathryn, Fiona and Ian on the gravel path. Hayley's shoes remained in the grass. At this point she opted to go barefoot. It was not quite "in a morass of mud", the words used by Helen Clark referring to 1917, but Hayley arrived on the gravel with a smile and a pair of muddy feet.

With a rose in one hand and a new camera in the other, my brain failed to connect and record the incident. However, the brain is now etched with the images.

[Andrew]

Hi Drew,

Hayley always leaves a lasting impression in her field i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Andrew

[chrisw]

part 1:

Due to the fact that my brain can't concentrate on work at the moment - lack of sleep - I'll endeavour to put my thoughts to paper..

The plan was simple, drive into central London, collect Caite, drive to Folkestone, meet James and then head over (under?) the ditch and onwards to Belgium and Passchendaele. However, as with all plans, they inevitably fall over once put into action.

Caite and I arrived at Folkestone, but unfortunately James wasn't able to join us due to a logistical problem. We drove onto the train, which in itself is a unique and somewhat unnerving experience, and 35 minutes later we were in France. Fog lights were needed as we drove towards Belgium but it made for a beautiful view and did well to set the mood for the day - sombre, yet serene - a little shiver running down your back as you look out and realise what you're heading towards.

After leaving home at 0330 UK time, we made it to Tyne Cot Cemetery just before 1000 local time, after only one near miss. I don't mind driving on other side of the road, but usually when I do so, the steering wheel is also on the opposite site. Driving a UK RHD car in Europe takes a little getting used to.

After finding somewhere to park, we walked up the path towards the cemetery. Unsure of where to go, we headed for the visitors' center, only to find it closed. After waiting patiently for a while longer, we enquired as to when it would be open, only to discover that we should have gone to the front of the cemetery, instead of the visitors' center.

We walked down the path, and around the side looking at the graves and the setting and thinking of how peaceful and perfect the setting was. Walking through the front made me shiver slightly. I've been to Arlington and walked quietly around there, but this was different. They were kiwi's, aussie's, brit's - those from my country who had given their lives for the love of their King, their country and for peace.

After walking around the cemetery briefly, we walked towards where the ceremony would be held and joined in with others waiting patiently for everything to start. Looking around, I could see people wearing medals, both their own and those of their ancestors. Some WWII veterans were present, judging by their medals, and it was at that stage that I decided it would be appropriate to wear my own. On the left-hand side, I wore those awarded to me; the Golden Jubilee medal, and the Iraq service medal. On the right, I wore those of my great-grandfather whose Regiment was present at Passchendaele, the 1914-1915 Star, the War medal and the Victory medal. I also wore a small silver fern for New Zealand, whilst Caite had my poppy.

[Stephany]

Great reports, Drew & Chris...thank you for sharing. I feel very sorry for James who couldn't make it.

drew said:

When I arrived in Calais it was a beautiful sunny day...

It's always sunny in France, Drew i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

Stephany

[chrisw]

Part 2..

Stephany, it's not always sunny in France, but whatever the weather, it always seems to give France a sense of atmosphere

So Caite and I were standing near the front, almost directly in front of the platform where the NZ and Aussie military Padre's were conducting the ceremony from. Seeing both the New Zealand and Australian flags marched out was very moving. There were three soldiers on each side. The standard (flag) bearers were each holding their own flags, with one NZ and one Australian soldier on each side; truly a combined experience.

To witness such an event reminded me of the ANZAC Day parades that I've attended in Christchurch since I was in my teens. I joined the Air Training Corps at the age of 13 and first marched in the parade then. I spent some time in the RNZAF and then when I joined the RNZNVR unit HMNZS Pegasus which is based in Christchurch, we marched every year and attended ANZAC Day parades around Christchurch and Canterbury.

Standing there, and listening to the speeches made me aware of just how much of a sacrifice the Great War was to two small countries. Both New Zealand and Australia sent a large number of men to war, a significant percentage of the of-age male populations of both countries were called up or volunteered to go and fight half a world away, knowing that they might not ever come back. The sacrifices that each country made was nothing compared to the personal sacrifices. The men had to deal with conditions that were new to the field of war; living in the trenches, dealing with disease and knowing that each one of them could be ordered to go up and over at a moments notice. For many of them, this brought about death and injuries and not just in a physical sense with the latter.

When you hear about war, you become curious and want to ask questions such as "what was it like?" and "were you ever shot at?". You hear about how those who served in this war, and others since then would never talk about what happened, although some would in the later years of their lives as they started to come to terms with everything. This war also saw men shot for cowardice, which is something that has been seen in recent years as a controversial decision, as it is now recognised that they were suffering from post traumatic stress disorder. Unless you have been to war, there are things that you will never understand, and those of us who have been pray that you never will.

The speeches from the Governor General of Australia, himself a former Army officer and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, along with that of the Belgian minister in attendance reflected upon the sacrifice of those buried throughout the fields of conflict, and the beautiful arrangement played by the Australian flautist, and "Abide With Me" as sung by Hayley shows, in my humble opinion, the respect for those who came before us; those whose memories we will continue to honour, and those we will never forget. It also shows the incredible respect that the peoples of Belgium and indeed Europe have for those who came when called to help.

Watching the wreathes being laid as military personnel stepped back and saluted and civilian dignitaries bowed their heads, I looked at the faces of those servicemen and women chosen to represent their countries and present the wreathes to those who would be placing them. Their professionalism and dedication to duty helped bring the ceremony along and they should be proud of representing both their services and their country in this way. The singing of the National Anthems of Australia, New Zealand and Belgium made me feel proud to be a kiwi and to have worn the uniforms of those present before me. Those who serve do so to honour those who came before them, and in my case, those who came before me included the NZ Expeditionary Force and the ANZACs who we were there to pay our respects to.

The playing of the Last Post and Reveille brought tears to my eyes as I thought more of the present than the past, and of those who haven't come home from Iraq and Afghanistan; two theatres very close to my own life.

It was at this point the service ended. We chose to walk around the cemetery a little more and came across Gerald, Hayley and Kathryn. Hayley, with Gerald's help, pointed out the name of her ancestor, F.A. Westenra, who was commemorated at Tyne Cot. We spent some time chatting with Gerald, explaining the medals I was wearing and my own service history along with how, as a kiwi, you never quite realise the effect that your country has had on the rest of the world - until you move out into it.

Helen Clark, the NZ PM, came along and shook our hands as well as having a quick picture with Hayley, and then we all said our goodbyes and started back towards the car and into town to find a place to park.

more to come..

[Stephany]

Hi again Chris,

Thank you for your very interesting comments and sharing your thoughts about how it felt to be at this moving commemoration. It is indeed very difficult for us to understand what you soldiers experience when you are fighting a war so far away from home. France and many other countries suffered terribly during the course of the two World Wars and it is important to remember the sacrifice of all these men who wanted nothing else than peace.

I recently visited a few sites of World War I and in particular the Battlefields of the Somme in the North of France where one of the most bloodiest battles in human history took place. There are very well-preserved trenches from both sides of the fighting and it is very difficult to imagine the appalling conditions under which the soldiers lived for months. I think it is crucial to commemorate this nightmare just because we owe them so much and it looks as though this Passchendaele commemoration did exactly the right thing. A well-deserved tribute.

I see that Hayley 'only' sang 'Abide with me'. Wasn't she supposed to sing during half-an-hour? And by the way, have you seen Dutchjoyce at the commemoration?

Stephany

[chrisw]

stephany said:

I see that Hayley 'only' sang 'Abide with me'. Wasn't she supposed to sing during half-an-hour? And by the way, have you seen Dutchjoyce at the commemoration?

Stephany

Hey Steph,

I hope to have the chance to visit more of France and Belgium in the future..

Hayley only sang one piece during the ceremony at Tyne Cot. She sang again later in the day.. but that will have to wait for the next part, as will Joyce's appearance

Patience my dear

[Stephany]

chrisw said:

She sang again later in the day.. but that will have to wait for the next part, as will Joyce's appearance

Oh, that's true - now I remember the Sonny piano picture.

[chrisw]

tinky3344 said:

Caitlin wrote:

Pictures from after the sun came out at Tyne Cot and then pictures of the Chateau. Unfortunately I didn't get any from the concert as I really didn't feel right taking them. I enjoyed the concert itself...but that's another post to come.

I quite agree Caitlin, I can imagine it just would nt feel right taking photos on such an occaision, particularly sitting right at the front.

Mark,

We decided that it would be okay for me to take a couple of photos with the flash off, which is how I managed to get mine, but it was only a few seconds half a dozen times during the evening.

There were quite a few people taking photos during the evening, including a local reporter opposite us who had his flash running very brightly on several occasions.

Caite and Joyce,

Thank you both for your reports and your photos. They only add to an unforgettable day..

On Friday, I will be attending another solemn ceremony, the dedication of the Armed Forces Memorial at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire. The event will be attended by HM The Queen as well as the Duke of Edinburgh and Prince Charles and I, along with others, will be in uniform representing the Armed Forces.

There probably won't be an opportunity to take any pictures, but it promises to be another unique day.

Regards,

Chris

[Richard]

Where have all the other posts gone? Several pages have disappeared!

Richard

[Belinda]

Hi Richard ,
thats what i thought i went to look at the pics of the cemetery and they had gone,
Earlier when i first looked at HWI in the last thirty posts.
i'm sure it said there were at least thirteen pages but when i pressed to go to the page it said an error had occured and the page did not exist or something along those lines.

Lets hope they turn up
Belinda

[Mark]

richnorri said:

Where have all the other posts gone? Several pages have disappeared!

Richard

Hi Richard

I thought it was just me but when I looked earlier this morning we were on page 15 on this thread - suddenly, its back down to 6 pages. Any suggestions ?

Mark