About the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior
'A day of remembrance
and a day to remember'
RNZRSA National President John Campbell
The RNZRSA was overwhelmed with the public response to the
homecoming of the Unknown Warrior and thanks all those involved for making
Armistice Day 2004 truly 'a day to remember'.
Lastest News
November 2004
RSA Review Special Commemorative Issue (on this
site)
www.rsa.org.nz/review/index
Background Information
The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior serves as a focus of remembrance of the
sacrifice made by New Zealand servicemen and women in overseas wars. Of
the approximately 30,000 New Zealand fatalities of the wars of the twentieth
century, there were 9,000 whose identity could not be determined or whose
bodies were never recovered. One unknown New Zealand soldier of First
World War was selected to return to New Zealand.
We will never know his name, rank, regiment, race, religion or any other
detail of his life, except that he is a New Zealander. He represents all
New Zealanders who were never to return from war.
Returned & Remembered
The remains of the Unknown Warrior was exhumed by the Commonwealth War
Graves Commission from among the unknown New Zealand soldiers buried at
Caterpillar War Cemetery, Longueval, in northern France and handed over
to New Zealand representatives at a ceremony at the New Zealand Memorial
at Longueval on 6 November 2004. The Unknown Warrior then returned to
New Zealand on a RNZAF aircraft and arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday
10 November 2004.
An Arrival Ceremony was held at Parliament and the Unknown Warrior was
taken to the Legislative Council Chamber to Lie-in-State. An official
wreath-laying ceremony the Governor-General presented with medals representing
service in the two World Wars and post-World War II operations. This was
followed by a special visitation by veterans' representatives and the
RNZRSA presented the Unknown Warrior with its highest honour — the
Badge in Gold.
10,000 New Zealanders travelled to Parliament during the night of 10/11
November to pay their respects and lay a poppy in remembrance at the foot
of the casket.
A Memorial Service was held on 11 November at the Wellington Cathedral
of St Paul, commencing with Two Minutes Silence at 11am. A full Military
Funeral Procession conveyed the Unknown Warrior from the Cathedral through
the streets of central Wellington to the National War Memorial in Buckle
Street, a distance of 2.85km and watched by 100,000 bystanders. The final
act was the Interment Ceremony at the National War Memorial when the Unknown
Warrior was buried with full military honours. New Zealanders around the
country followed the ceremonies via live broadcasts on state television
and radio.
The day concluded with a special sitting of Parliament and a Veterans'
Dinner in the evening.
History
Since the 1940s the RSA has repeatedly called for an Unknown New Zealand
Warrior to be interred at the National War Memorial, and fully supported
this initiative. The depth of emotional attachment veterans have for the
Unknown Warrior — a comrade of the WWI founders of the RSA —
was acknowledged at the National Conference in June 2004 with the unanimous
passage of the following Special Resolution:
In remembrance of those New Zealanders who never returned from
war and the foundation of this organisation by returned soldiers of
the First World War, National Council respectfully and solemnly bestows
upon the Unknown Warrior on the occasion of his return to New Zealand
and interment at the National War Memorial this Armistice Day, 11 November
2004, the RNZRSA’s most prestigious award – the Badge in
Gold in its original form of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’
Association.
Archive
12 November 2004
Tomb of the Unknown Warrior (MCH website)
www.unknownwarrior.govt.nz/unknown/gallery.html
15 October 2004
Schedule of Events in France and NZ (MCH website)
www.unknownwarrior.govt.nz/unknown/pr.html
23 September 2004
Nationwide call for veterans and families to attend Unknown
Warrior ceremonial events (MCH website)
www.unknownwarrior.govt.nz/unknown/pr.html
20 September 2004
RNZRSA National President welcomes news (on this site)
www.rsa.org.nz/about/nws2004sep/Unknown_Warrior.htm
20 September 2004
PM's Announcement (Official NZ Government website)
www.beehive.govt.nz
August 2004
Tomb of Unknown Warrior Design Plans (on this site)
www.rsa.org.nz/review/art2004august/article_2
July 2003
Unknown Warrior Tomb on Hold (on this site)
www.rsa.org.nz/review/art2003july/cover_story
August 2002
Unknown… and yet so well known (on this site)
www.rsa.org.nz/review/art2002august/article_3
June 2002
"Known unto God" (on this site)
www.rsa.org.nz/review/art2002june/article_1
Related links
Unknown Warrior Official Site (Ministry for Culture and
Heritage)
www.unknownwarrior.govt.nz
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
www.cwgc.org
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