Friday 25 April 2008

Anzac Day

From speaking with other Kiwis here, and seeing the comments on Facebook, I find it quite moving that so many young(ish) people are remembering our troops after all these years. I guess we've all got someone in our family, albeit a bit further back now, who fought, if not died.

Although many Kiwis visit Gallipoli for Anzac Day, we're off to France. An old school friend of Paul's who I know independently through law links in Auckland (and my friend Leona is independently related to...) has very kindly organised for a small troop of 38 Kiwis to go the north of France to a small town called Le Quesnoy, which was liberated by the Kiwis in 1918, by hand.

As I should be packing my bag, (determined to get my sleeping bag, towel, camera and everything else I need into a very small suitcase), I'll leave you with some pre-reading.

History:

This site has an excellent 7-page write-up of NZ's involvement with Le Quesnoy:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/war/le-quesnoy/new-zealand-and-le-quesnoy


Another write-up:
http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww1/france/le_quesnoy.htm


And the official write-up on the Paris NZ Embassy web site:
http://www.nzembassy.com/info.cfm?CFID=2077584&CFTOKEN=95197641&c=6&l=37&s=bu&p=359

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