New Zealand’s story on the Western Front stretches across borders and saw more than two years of fighting. From their first engagements in the Somme to their final action at Le Quesnoy, soldiers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force played an important role in the Allies’ victory.
The New Zealand Defence Force continues to make an impact here in Europe, with personnel stationed across the continent and the UK. This month, London-based representatives of the NZDF and their families crossed the English Channel for a tour of their predecessors’ key sites across France and Belgium.
The tour began in the Somme, where New Zealanders first entered the fighting on the Western Front during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.
Led by local guide Flora Devillers, the group visited the New Zealand Memorial at Longueval and Caterpillar Valley Cemetery, the place from which New Zealand’s Unknown Warrior was taken before being put to rest at Wellington’s Pukeahu National War Memorial Park.
Next, the group journeyed 20 metres underground at Arras’s Carrière Wellington, a maze of tunnels connecting ancient chalk mines, stretching from beneath the city to the German frontlines and allowing for a major Allied surprise attack in 1917. The New Zealand Tunneling Company completed the work of connecting the network of passages, and today, Arras is a common stop for Kiwis retracing our WW1 story.
To finish Day One, the group visited the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Visitor Centre. The Centre is home to the Commission’s factories where they continue to make headstones and other elements for the hundreds of Commonwealth cemeteries across the world. Director of the Commission’s operations in the France area, Jeremy Prince, and summer intern, Harry, guided the group through the Centre, which also engages in archeological work to help identify the dozens of soldiers found across the Western Front each year.
Day Two took place in Flanders, where the New Zealanders spent most of 1917. On the way north, the group stopped at the Christmas Truce Memorial, the site of the famous game of football played during Christmas of 1914.
Soon the group arrived in Poperinge, a town behind the Front for the duration of the War and site of Talbot House – the Every Man’s Club. Talbot House Manager, Simon Louagie, enthralled the group with tales of this famous haven for soldiers away from the trenches – a place which received some 5,000 diggers a day and which was open to men of all ranks, creeds, classes and countries.
Next, Simon – now leading the day’s visits – sped the group off to Messines, where a well-planned-and-executed battle is remembered as one of the New Zealanders’ finest.
The group then learnt about the following months’ push towards Passchendaele, which, marred by terrible weather and preparations, ultimately led to the Kiwis’ worst day of WW1, 12 October 1917. This horrific battle is presented at the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, which the group visited before paying their respects at the Gravenstafel Memorial and Tyne Cot Cemetery.
To close out a hot and emotional day, the group moved on to Ypres and attended the Last Post Ceremony at the Menin Gate. This ceremony has been held every day since 1928, and on this occasion, Brigadier Lisa Ferris – New Zealand’s highest ranking Defence official based in London – had the honour of reading the Ode in te reo Māori.
Day Three was then devoted to Le Quesnoy and a visit to the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata – New Zealand’s tūrangawaewae on the Western Front. Opened just two years ago, Te Arawhata tells the story of the liberation of Le Quesnoy on 4 November 1918 – the last action seen by the New Zealand Division in the War.
The group discovered the close link maintained between the people of Aotearoa and Le Quesnoy over the past 107 years and the Museum’s mission of commemorating New Zealand’s sacrifice and celebrating the enduring friendship.
Commander Martin Walker – New Zealand’s Naval Advisor in London – said “it’s an amazing museum – it’s been done in a really thoughtful way. I feel like this place tells a human story in a very New Zealand way. It’s almost like being back home when you go in there and that’s a really comforting feeling.”
Wing Commander Heather Peart – New Zealand’s Air Advisor in London – agreed that a visit to Te Arawhata is worth the journey: “I think it’s such a special place – it’s the second time I’ve been. I came with my family a couple of months ago and I was just blown away by the whole way it’s been designed. It has a special feel to it – from the birdsong when you walk in, the giant NZ soldier, every part of the museum feels really special – you don’t want to leave when you come in here.
Heather was joined on the tour by husband Lieutenant Colonel Jacob Murray and their children, Archie and Grace. Archie (11) reflected on how interesting it was to spend three days on the trail of the New Zealanders, because “I didn’t know that they played such a big role in the Great War”, while Grace (8) reflected “I’ve never really seen a place so connected with New Zealand other than New Zealand, so I like it here, it’s cool.”
After three days of discovery, the group went back to London with a much deeper understanding of New Zealand’s contribution on the Western Front. Designing a trip like this from the UK can feel daunting, but the team at Te Arawhata is here to support. If you are considering making a similar pilgrimage, don’t hesitate to get in touch.