Remembrance

Remembrance plays a special part in the life of the RSA.

A moment of silence is generally observed daily at RSAs in memory of comrades who made the supreme sacrifice in the service of their country. Other comrades who have since died are also remembered.

On ANZAC Day and on other special anniversaries, RSAs take part in wreath-laying ceremonies of remembrance.

Poppy Day

Poppy Day is usually observed on the Friday before ANZAC Day. RSA volunteers exchange the distinctive red poppy in return for a donation in support of the RSA Welfare Fund. The poppy serves to remind the wearer of the sacrifice of life made in times of war, and to show support for the valuable welfare work of the RSA.

ANZAC Day

ANZAC Day is observed on 25 April each year to commemorate those who died in the service of their country and to honour returned servicemen and women, past and present. 25 April is the anniversary of the Landing of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps at Gallipoli in 1915.

Armistice Day

Armistice Day – 11 November – marks the anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War. One minute's silence is observed at RSAs throughout New Zealand at 11am on 11 November in memory of those who died or suffered in the service of their country in this and subsequent armed conflicts.

Commemorative Dates

Special days commemorate those who have served in various armed conflicts overseas from 1899 to the present day.

RSA History

RSA in New Zealand has a rich and varied history from its beginnings as the Returned Soldiers’ Association in 1916, to the honour of the appellation ‘Royal’ conferred by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in the year 2000.

Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

This Armistice Day, 11 November 2004, the repatriated remains of an unknown soldier from the battlefields of France will be interred in a specially constructed Tomb at the National War Memorial in Wellington.

Passchendaele Remembered

12 October 1917 represents the worst military disaster in our nation’s history when more than 2,800 New Zealanders were either killed, wounded, or listed as missing. This is the RSA’s commitment to ensure that New Zealanders who lie half a world away in the fields of Flanders are never forgotten.

We Will Remember Them