This month we have taken the time to pause, reflect on and remember the service of all those who served New Zealand in times of war and the many who paid the ultimate sacrifice. In Le Quesnoy, 4 November marked 107 years since the liberation of the town, while 11 November recalled the signing of the Armistice that brought an end to hostilities on the Western Front just a week later. The town’s commemorations on both days were well attended – a time for us all to remember and to unite in our hope for peace.
On Liberation Day in Le Quesnoy we pay homage to the freedoms that were won on that day, but we also celebrate a friendship which has spanned the globe for over a century.
At Te Arawhata, we marked the occasion on Sunday 2 November with activities for families and a dramatised retelling of the liberation. I was delighted to see a great crowd of locals and a few New Zealanders who joined us to keep the memory of Liberation Day alive.
The event also saw New Zealand manuka honey brand Naki launch their “Eternal Gold” campaign at Te Arawhata and so we honoured the lasting friendship with the town with the gift of a very special pot of honey.
11 November, by contrast, was a more sombre occasion. I was honoured to attend commemorations in nearby Romeries where 19 New Zealanders are laid to rest and to march in Le Quesnoy’s official commemorations where I laid a wreath at the town’s Memorial to the Dead.
It was also a moment of pride to see Le Quesnoy recognised by the President of the Republique, Emmanuel Macron, with an invitation to the state service at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris for Armistice Day.
The town was represented by Mayor Marie-Sophie Lesne and youth flagbearer Galahad Chermeux, both of whom have been keen supporters of Te Arawhata and guardians of the enduring friendship with Aotearoa New Zealand.
A particularly special moment for me was attending a ceremony for the Rekindling of the Eternal Flame at the Arc de Triomphe. This service is conducted each year by one of the Commonwealth ambassadors and this year, New Zealand Ambassador to France Caroline Bilkey was charged with leading. To stand before the tomb of the Unknown Soldier and to hear the New Zealand national anthem alongside representatives of France, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India and South Africa will be a lasting memory.
Beyond Le Quesnoy, we have continued to fly the New Zealand flag – Marketing and Operations Manager Jacob Siermans was in the Somme on 11 November guiding a group through Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, while I attended a screening of Peter Jackson’s “They Shall Not Grow Old” at Australia’s Sir John Monash Centre.
Our connections across the north of France continue to grow, and during this quieter season we make the most of developing relationships with colleagues across the memory tourism sector and are pleased to welcome many from across the region for visits to the museum.