David Cox delves into Glyn Harper's Spring Offensive

WWI book launch

During the opening function forthe recently held "Zealandia's Great War, the opportunity was taken to launch Glyn Harper's new book "Spring Offensive".

David Cox, RNZRSA National President, did the honours.

The author, Dr Harper, is associate professor of Military Studies at Massey University. During his response he told the audience that:

We need to do something that tells the full story of New Zealanders in the First World War.

David Cox's address:

The Royal New Zealand Returned Services' Association places great importance on this subject as it was, in 1916, born out of the international conflict under discussion.

It is most timely that just last weekend (1-2 November 2003) a new exhibit dealing with the tragedy of Passchendaele was opened at the Army Museum, Waiouru. It was there at Passchendaele in Belgium, on the 12th of October 1917, that the New Zealand Division suffered some 2700 casualties in just four hours of bloody carnage. And this was just one of many occasions when our troops were put to the test and although viciously decimated by enemy fire, some lived on to fight another day.

I have always maintained that the First World War on the Western Front was the worst war ever - the mud, the water, the stench, the utter devastation, the suffering, the death. How anyone, on either side, could have lived through that unspeakable misery just astounds me.

It is vital that the total story of New Zealand's military history is never forgotten. It is most important that this part of the fabric of our country's evolution is preserved in recognition of all who suffered during that war.

It is RNZRSA's view that not enough has been taught in our schools about our country's military heritage.

We believe it is our children's right to understand the toll of human suffering endured by their forebears, not only during the war currently under examination at this conference, but of all conflicts in which we have been involved. Hopefully, out of this conference will flow something that can be picked up and used by our educators to make our children more aware of, and comprehend what happened on the battlefronts 90 years ago.

This is not a glorification of war, it is an attempt to understand why, and how it came about, and how it was conducted.

God forbid that we ever have to again endure the inhumanity that shook the whole world over those four terrible years of conflict and the others that have followed.

And now it is with great pleasure and privilege I declare open Zealandia's Great War, a conference dedicated to the study of New Zealand's role in that great conflict which engulfed the world just on 90 years ago.

In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, I ask that you pause for a moment's silence in remembrance of those who paid the supreme sacrifice in battle, together with their comrades, who returned and have since died.

(Silence)

They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old;
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.