Waikenae Memorial Hall is filled to capacity, and then some, when I arrive. This small town along New Zealand’s west coast about an hour north of Wellington has gathered to commemorate, to memorialize, and to remember. Today is April 25, ANZAC Day, and communities all over New Zealand and Australia are doing the same thing, honoring veterans who have served the two nations in foreign wars.
ANZAC stands for Australia and New Zealand Army Corps, and it was originally dedicated to commemorate the combined force from those two nations who took part in the Gallipoli Campaign of World War One, which began on April 25, 1915. Today, however, it has expanded to include all veterans.
And they are out in force here in Waikenae, with a large percentage of participants wearing medals or other military paraphernalia that signals their service. Active duty troops are also present, as well as uniformed police and scouting groups. The hall is decorated with flowers, and most people have pinned red poppies (velvet cutouts seem the most common) to their lapels, although I don’t have one. The poppies stem from fundraising efforts to support wounded veterans, and over the course of the next few days I see those velvet cutouts available on shop counters next to donation boxes. I wish I’d have found them sooner.
Speeches come first, of course, in both Maori and English. I stand at the door looking in, alternating between watching the dignitaries on stage and the audience, noting that this is a multi-generational event. Even besides the scouts, children are present, sitting quietly and paying attention. Rows of photos of uniformed soldiers hang at the far end of the hall, so I don’t see them clearly, but speakers reference them as members of this community who served, and who died on behalf of their country. (Some photos may have been of veterans who survived, as well.)
And then we make our way outside to the memorial itself. Apparently every town in New Zealand has a war memorial, such was the effect of the world wars on this small country. Wreaths are laid on behalf of community organizations, the flag is lowered to half mast, and the anthems of both New Zealand and Australia are sung. Then the soldiers, uniformed law enforcement, and scouts march out, and the crowd disperses.
It’s about an hour in total, a somber but uplifting event, and one that stands in contrast to how Memorial Day and Veterans Day are observed in the US, with mainly celebratory barbecues and sales from businesses. And I like this one better, finding it incredibly moving, even as a non-Australian/New Zealander.
As mentioned above, ANZAC Day is held on April 25, commemorating the date that Australian and New Zealander soldiers began the Gallipoli Campaign, their first “action” of World War One. The Great War isn’t studied in the US to the same extent as some others, and campaigns not directly involving American troops are learned of even less, so while I had heard of Gallipoli, that was about the extent. Fortunately, Wellington’s Te Papa (the Museum of New Zealand) has people like me covered with a truly incredible exhibition, appropriately entitled Gallipoli.
The exhibition runs through the entirety of the campaign, April 25 through basically the end of December 1915. Allies made troop landings on the Gallipoli Peninsula in the northwest (European side) of the Ottoman Empire. Approximately 50,000 Australian troops and 15,000 New Zealanders took part in the campaign, landing together at what would be called ANZAC Bay on April 25. It was expected to be an easy campaign, one that would provide naval access to the Dardanelles, the narrow straight that leads from the Mediterranean to the Sea of Marmara and Istanbul.
Animated maps are combined with informational signage and artifacts to narrate the campaign, which basically went poorly from the start. Ottoman troops, commanded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk (who would go on to found and rule modern Turkey after the Ottoman Empire collapsed following the war), were well positioned and heavily dug in. A quick victory for the allies went out the window, and reinforcements were sent to prevent all-out defeat.
By May, both sides were entrenched, the familiar warfare of World War One. And while the allied troops advanced at times, they were basically always pushed back in Ottoman counter-offensives, although those never succeeded in driving the allies totally from the peninsula.
The allies had their most successful offensive at Sari Bair in August, seizing the summit of Chunuk Bair on August 8. They would only hold it for two days. In the Ottoman counter-attack, the New Zealand Wellington Battalion took incredible casualties, with 711 out of the 760 who held the summit killed or wounded.
While the overall aspects of the campaign are most interesting to me, one thing the Gallipoli exhibit also offers is some personal stories. It specifically traces several allied members of the military (one can’t say soldiers when a nurse is also part of it). Huge sculptures of these personalities were created from old photographs, built by the Weta Workshop (of Lord of the Rings fame), with a level of detail that is extraordinary. For instance, Weta even included nostril hairs, individual freckles, and more. It ends up with powerful shots from real life scenes being played, one in each of several darkened rooms that allow for a close to 360 degree view of the sculptures. Paired with sounds of battle, it is an emotional touch.
After another round of stalemate, Bulgaria’s joining the German/Austrian/Ottoman side in the fall allowed for Germany to reinforce the Ottomans via Bulgarian territory, and opened another front for the allies. So the decision was made to evacuate from Gallipoli, which was done in December, ending a campaign that would be regarded as a strategic – if not decisive – loss for the allied powers.
The costs were huge, on both sides. In all, more than 130,000 people lost their lives, and more than 11,000 of the 65,000 ANZAC forces. More than four times that were wounded, accounting for roughly two in three participants between both sides.
The exhibition ends with a remarkable quotation from Mustafa Kemal Ataturk following the Ottoman Empire’s collapse and the establishment of modern Turkey. He said, of the allied dead, “These heroes that shed their blood and lost their lives… are now lying in the soil of a friendly country… and are in peace… They have become our sons as well.”
While traveling for holidays is a thing, experiencing a somber holiday like ANZAC Day wasn’t something that I had on my bingo card for my New Zealand trip. But I’m so glad I did. While I opted to sleep through the sunrise ceremony at the National War Memorial in Wellington, I found it likely just as moving to take part in a small town commemoration, especially since I was fully awake and caffeinated.
And the chance to learn about the Gallipoli Campaign, and to honor those who fought and died for their countries, was just an added – and incredibly meaningful – experience.
One again, thank you to Te Papa for hosting my visit, and for this incredible exhibition.
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