New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
Encyclopedia
The New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior is at the National War Memorial
in Buckle Street, Wellington
. The remains of the Warrior, one of the 18,166 New Zealand
casualties of World War I
, were exhumed on 10 October 2004 from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, near where the New Zealand Division fought in 1916.
sealed and placed in a rimu
coffin brought from New Zealand, were handed over from the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
to a New Zealand delegation during a ceremony at Longueval
, Somme
, France
. New Zealand Defence Force
chief, Air Marshal
Bruce Ferguson
, who had the task of repatriating the Warrior's remains, said of the occasion:
The Warrior arrived in New Zealand on 10 November 2004. While he lay in state in the Parliament Buildings an estimated 10,000 people paid their respects. The Warrior was laid to rest on the 86th Armistice Day
, 11 November 2004, after a service at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington
and a 2.85 km slow march
procession through the streets of Wellington, lined by about 100,000 people. The Tomb was sealed with a bronze
mantel
at 3:59pm, bearing the words:
The Warrior is one of more than 1500 New Zealanders killed on the Somme. Most of them, 1272, remained unidentified and are buried in unmarked graves or remembered on memorial walls. The remains are thought to include an almost complete skeleton, and other belongings that established beyond doubt the Warrior's nationality.
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
also awarded its Badge in Gold, the first time it has been awarded posthumously. Immediate Past National President David Cox, a World War II veteran, made the presentation:
Each RNZRSA District President placed soil and other items into the Tomb to acknowledge the service personnel from their districts who had given their lives to the nation, including soil from the farm of Charles Upham
. Soil from Caterpillar Valley Cemetery was provided by the Ambassador
from France, Jean-Michel Marlaud.
National War Memorial (New Zealand)
The New Zealand National War Memorial is located next to the New Zealand Dominion Museum building on Buckle Street, in Wellington, the nation's capital...
in Buckle Street, Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
. The remains of the Warrior, one of the 18,166 New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
casualties of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, were exhumed on 10 October 2004 from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, near where the New Zealand Division fought in 1916.
History
On 6 November 2004 the remains, in a copper coffinCoffin
A coffin is a funerary box used in the display and containment of dead people – either for burial or cremation.Contemporary North American English makes a distinction between "coffin", which is generally understood to denote a funerary box having six sides in plan view, and "casket", which...
sealed and placed in a rimu
Dacrydium cupressinum
Dacrydium cupressinum, commonly known as rimu, is a large evergreen coniferous tree endemic to the forests of New Zealand. It is a member of the southern conifer group, the podocarps. The former name "red pine" has fallen out of common use....
coffin brought from New Zealand, were handed over from the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is an intergovernmental organisation of six independent member states whose principal function is to mark, record and maintain the graves, and places of commemoration, of Commonwealth of Nations military service members who died in the two World Wars...
to a New Zealand delegation during a ceremony at Longueval
Longueval
Longueval is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Longueval is located 24 miles northwest of Amiens on the D919 road, at the junction with the D8....
, Somme
Somme
Somme is a department of France, located in the north of the country and named after the Somme river. It is part of the Picardy region of France....
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. New Zealand Defence Force
New Zealand Defence Force
The New Zealand Defence Force consists of three services: the Royal New Zealand Navy; the New Zealand Army; and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Commander-in-Chief of the NZDF is His Excellency Rt. Hon...
chief, Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Bruce Ferguson
Bruce Ferguson
Air Marshal Sir Bruce Reid Ferguson KNZM, OBE, AFC is the former Chief of New Zealand Defence Force and Director of Government Communications Security Bureau. He took up the appointment when the previous Director Dr. Warren Tucker, took up his new role as Director of Security Intelligence Service...
, who had the task of repatriating the Warrior's remains, said of the occasion:
The Warrior arrived in New Zealand on 10 November 2004. While he lay in state in the Parliament Buildings an estimated 10,000 people paid their respects. The Warrior was laid to rest on the 86th Armistice Day
Armistice Day
Armistice Day is on 11 November and commemorates the armistice signed between the Allies of World War I and Germany at Compiègne, France, for the cessation of hostilities on the Western Front of World War I, which took effect at eleven o'clock in the morning—the "eleventh hour of the eleventh day...
, 11 November 2004, after a service at St Paul's Cathedral, Wellington
Wellington Cathedral of Saint Paul
This article relates to the Anglican Cathedral of Wellington. For the two other Wellington Cathedrals see: Sacred Heart Cathedral and Cathedral of the Annunciation of the Virgin Mary thumb|View of the chancel...
and a 2.85 km slow march
Parade (military)
A military parade is a formation of soldiers whose movement is restricted by close-order manouevering known as drilling or marching. The American usage is "formation or military review". The military parade is now mostly ceremonial, though soldiers from time immemorial up until the late 19th...
procession through the streets of Wellington, lined by about 100,000 people. The Tomb was sealed with a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
mantel
Mantel
Mantel is a municipality in the district of Neustadt in Bavaria in Germany....
at 3:59pm, bearing the words:
The Warrior is one of more than 1500 New Zealanders killed on the Somme. Most of them, 1272, remained unidentified and are buried in unmarked graves or remembered on memorial walls. The remains are thought to include an almost complete skeleton, and other belongings that established beyond doubt the Warrior's nationality.
Awards
The Warrior was awarded:- 1914-15 Star1914-15 StarThe 1914-15 Star was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The 1914-15 Star was approved in 1918, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who served in any theatre of the War between 5 August 1914 and 31 December 1915 .Recipients of this medal also...
for service between August 1914 and December 1915 - British War MedalBritish War MedalThe British War Medal was a campaign medal of the British Empire, for service in World War I.The medal was approved in 1919, for issue to officers and men of British and Imperial forces who had rendered service between 5 August 1914 and 11 November 1918...
for service during World War I up to 1920 - Victory MedalVictory Medal (United Kingdom)The Victory Medal is a campaign medal - of which the basic design and ribbon was adopted by Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Siam, Union of South Africa and the USA in accordance with decisions as taken at the Inter-Allied Peace Conference at...
- 1939 - 1945 Star for service during World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
- New Zealand Operational Service MedalNew Zealand Operational Service MedalThe New Zealand Operational Service Medal is a New Zealand campaign medal for award to New Zealanders who have served on operations since 3 September 1945. The medal was instituted in 2002 to provide specific New Zealand recognition for operational service. It is awarded in addition to any New...
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association
The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, often referred to as the Returned Services' Association but best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world.Wounded soldiers...
also awarded its Badge in Gold, the first time it has been awarded posthumously. Immediate Past National President David Cox, a World War II veteran, made the presentation:
Each RNZRSA District President placed soil and other items into the Tomb to acknowledge the service personnel from their districts who had given their lives to the nation, including soil from the farm of Charles Upham
Charles Upham
Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar was a New Zealand soldier who earned the Victoria Cross twice during the Second World War: in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in July 1942...
. Soil from Caterpillar Valley Cemetery was provided by the Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
from France, Jean-Michel Marlaud.