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Kim39
13th November 2005, 10:06 PM
Have spent today in Cambridge watching the Armistice Day celebrations, i was totally surprised to see a massive difference how the Kiwi's celebrate this day, against how the Brits celebrate back in the UK.

The day started at 09:30 with a parade of WW2 vehicles with a parade of Army, Navy and AirForce personnel all from a re-enactment society. It was very well presented. Within the parade were tanks (british as well as american along with other nationalities vehicles) jeeps,short track as well as long track vehicles etc, then came a fly past by a Catalina. The focal point was taking place on the town's cricket pitch and surrounding outfield. Here there were various army camps set up,ranging from British,German,Nz,Viet Cong and so forth, too many to mention really. There were tank and infantry divisions from various nations. I'm sure you are getting the picture.

Later on came a re-enactment from a battle from the D-Day landings, as british and american forces annulled an offensive from the germans. As well as this staged battle, there were others from the WW1 and a battle featuring the Nz army against the viet cong. Along with this entertainment came a parachute fall from the Kiwi blues parachute team. There is plenty more to mention but this thread would just go and on.

And to think, all the brits can muster(especially where i originate from is a march of veterens and cadets to a cenetaph to lay a wreath) not that i am knocking this,but what i saw today was entertaining and spectacular,but also remembering what today was all about and not once did this leave peoples attentions.

Kim

Timbo
13th November 2005, 10:21 PM
New Zealand obviously hasnt lost it`s sense of pride, and freedom like the UK seems to have.
We have had a case this week Kim, of workmen not being able to complete the renovation of a town`s war memorial because a bunch of teenage yobs kept bombarding them with bricks etc. and making it impossible. Also had a Muslim section of a cemetery completley wrecked by rascist thugs.
The day you describe sounds like what is laid on at major events here, such as Biggin hill airshow. Got any picys??

Howie
14th November 2005, 12:59 AM
Living in the US, one thing that I miss about Canada is the poppies on Remembrance day. Do Kiwis wear poppies?

StevieD
14th November 2005, 01:00 AM
Makes you proud to be British doesn't it? :( :no


Thanks for the reply to my question Kim.. :nice1

Steve

mathmussim
14th November 2005, 03:52 AM
At least the UK has more activities than the US. All we got here was a "campaign speech" from the president lecturing us about why we're in Iraq, and accusing us of being un-American if we disagree with being there. Veterans Day is a Federal holiday, but Government workers are about the only ones that get the day off. Many schools are still in session. If we took war more seriously, maybe we wouldn't be so quick to enter into conflicts.

John

GeorgeM
14th November 2005, 05:01 AM
I'm sure that there must have been the odd service here or there, but in the Chch area Rememberance Day (as in 11th November) is largely ignored.

The big event in Aus and NZ corresponding to Rememberance Day is ANZAC Day, which is observed on April 25th. It is a public holiday (but in NZ is not shifted if it occurs at a weekend - the official line is that everyone gets a day off just so that they can attend the services so if it falls at a weekend you don't need to move it to the Monday).

In NZ this is marked by the same sort of services as on 11th Nov the UK, but in many places the service is held at sunrise.

On the run up to ANZAC Day the RSA (Returned Servicemens Association) sells poppies in the same way as the British Legion do in the UK, and these are widely worn.

Miffy
14th November 2005, 07:58 AM
Nothing really happened on 11th November.
ANZAC day in April is when it all happens here really

Kim39
15th November 2005, 05:49 AM
So Cambridge seems to be the place to be on Armistice Day. Was under the impression that this seem to be all across NZ, but i was wrong. Never mind though it was very enjoyable none the less.

Kim

T-R3xx
15th November 2005, 06:51 AM
At least the UK has more activities than the US. All we got here was a "campaign speech" from the president lecturing us about why we're in Iraq, and accusing us of being un-American if we disagree with being there. Veterans Day is a Federal holiday, but Government workers are about the only ones that get the day off. Many schools are still in session. If we took war more seriously, maybe we wouldn't be so quick to enter into conflicts.

John
Yes, Virginia, there IS a Veteran's Day! With one Google search I found a page of events that occurred all around the Twin-cities area, where we live. All the schools were out, and it was generally a quiet day, though not a 'true' holiday. Since we do not watch TV, we fortunately missed the endless rhetoric from the spin-meisters on both sides. I do think that, at least around here, Veteran's Day is pretty much overshadowed by Memorial day, due to a) It is in the summers, and b) Veteran's Day is right in between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and big business has yet figured out how to get folks to buy things on Veteran's Day: no money = no press.


On another note: If anyone has lost contact with a relative who died for King/Queen and Crown, you may be able to locate them here:
http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/search.aspx

It is a fabulous site. I found my great uncle, who was killed in WW1 and who 'disappeared'. And here he is: http://www.cwgc.org/cwgcinternet/certificate.aspx?casualty=587777

The picture is the actual cemetery and the row he is buried

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