LAUNCHED! - Royal New Zealand Navy

S T A T E O C C A S I O N Swinter woollies – some bearing Anzacbiscuits – for the Saturday afternoonceremony; the expatriates present said theceremony was moving, and something tobe proud of. One described the memorialas “our little piece of London.”RNZRSA President John Campbell saidbeing at the ceremony “meant so much”to him and the other veterans present.“To see the memorial in Hyde Park Cornerwas very emotional but also marvellous.The presence of so many members of theRoyal family, both prime ministers, andthe hundreds of young New Zealandersattending really meant a lot to all of us.We know the memorial will provide awonderful focal point for New Zealandersliving in and visiting the United Kingdom,and we are very proud to be here.”With thanks to Anna Norman, Army NewsAK 06-0480-25L A C T a m e h a n a N a e r a , p a r t o f t h e t r i - S e r v i c e M a o r iC u l t u r a l G r o u p , e n t e r s H y d e P a r k a l o n g s i d e t h eN a v y e l e m e n t o f t h e R o y a l G u a r d . T h e N a v y E l e m e n tC o m m a n d e r ( w i t h s w o r d ) i s L T P i t i e r a D a w s o n R N Z N .SOUTHERNSTANDMore than 250,000 New Zealanders haveserved in or alongside British forces duringthe wars of the 20th Century. Thirty-twoveterans of combined New Zealand andBritish campaigns (including WWII, J Force,K Force, Malaya and Borneo) were flownto London as par t of the official NZDFcontingent. Former Leading TelegraphistRaymond Newport, who served with ourNavy in Korea and Malaya, said attendingthe ceremony was a great honour. “This Isee as a proud moment for not only myselfand the official party but for the countryas a whole.”The $3million memorial was designedby architec t John Hardwick-Smith andsculptor Paul Dibble, and was funded bythe New Zealand Government. It shares thenorth-east corner of Hyde Park Corner withthe Australian War Memorial, which wasdedicated in 2003.Each of the 16 bronze standards is adornedwith text, patterns and small sculptures,which reflect the military, historical, social,cultural and economic ties between the twocountries. “Through the words and images,any New Zealander visiting the memorialwill recognise home, and British people maylearn something of the relationship betweenour two countries”, explains Paul Dibble.Ten of the memorial’s standards form anangled grid with a “leader”, which containsthe dedication text and is the site for layingofficial wreaths. Each standard is formedfrom two intersecting plates of bronzeand, when seen from above and afar, thesculptures appear like a series of crosseshanging in the air.Standard 6 in the main group is the Navyand Air Force standard, and the bronzereliefs include silhouettes of ACHILLES,GAMBIA, and a Flower-class corvette andan Isles-class minesweeper. The sculptorsays he wanted to include the ships but hasnot made them too exacting so as to makea strong design.The other six standards are positionedto form the shape of the Southern Cross.At night their tops will be illuminated sothat the crosses look like the southern starsindicating the compass direction south– pointing the way home for wanderingKiwis.H M N Z S G A M B I A i n b r o n z ePhoto: MCHABOVE: LTCDR Peter Drew VRD, RNZNVRrepresented our VR in London. He says,“The sight of the NZ tri-Service Guard, ledby a group of warriors, marching downBuckingham Palace Road to the tune of“Maori Battalion” would have been treatenough. However, I carried a wreath forthe NZ and UK CDFs during the ceremony;there was a wreath bearer from eachof the services, and it was a moment ofgreat pride to represent our Navy and theRNZNVR (although I have to say it was anoccasion on which I regretted not havingthe old “R” in my curls for all to see!).30 N T 1 1 7 D E C E M B E R 0 6W W W . N A V Y . M I L . N Z