Kia ora – my name is Sam and I am in my second year studying at Sciences Po Paris, Campus du Havre. I was lucky enough to spend my summer holidays living in Le Quesnoy and working at the New Zealand Liberation Museum – Te Arawhata.
It’s been a fantastic and incredibly marking experience. The Museum is a truly unique experience across the Western Front: it is moving, immersive and thoughtfully-done, focusing on the stories of the people involved in the occupation and liberation of Le Quesnoy and the friendship which has developed over the last century.
Te Arawhata is particularly special for me because it feels like a home away from home. When I moved from Auckland to Le Havre last year, I knew that I would be one of only a few Kiwis around. A year on from my arrival, I was suddenly surrounded by New Zealanders, from the team managing the Museum to our wonderful visitors coming from back home. Beyond a few familiar accents, Le Quesnoy itself, a town so full of history, connection and love for Aotearoa, feels so welcoming – it is a really special feeling to live here.
Over my two months at Te Arawhata, I took on many responsibilities – greeting guests, assisting with events, and completing research for upcoming presentations. My favourite task was running daily tours of the town’s imposing 17th-century ramparts. We regularly had visitors whose ancestors were present here on 4 November 1918 during the liberation. They come with stories and sometimes photographs, and it’s truly special to be able to guide them where their ancestors would have stood and show them what they would have seen and done on that fateful day.
Another highlight of my time here was attending memorials for the anniversary of the beginning of the Battle of the Somme on 1 July. This 109th anniversary, taking place during a scorching summer heatwave, helped to put things in perspective for me. Since I was little, I have always had a deep interest in the Great War – my parents frequently remind me of a 9-year-old Sam thumbing through the 1000 pages of a WW1 history textbook. Standing before the tens of thousands of names on the Thiepval Monument and listening to the solemn tune of the Ode to Newfoundland at the Newfoundland Memorial at Beaumont-Hamel drove home the scale of this war, which touched all corners of the map. It was a privilege to represent New Zealand at these services.
When I reflect on my time in Le Quesnoy, I think the thing that will stay with me is the commitment the town has to remembering the sacrifice of the New Zealand soldiers. When you arrive at the town’s train station, a sign proudly welcomes you to “Te Taone o Oki” – Le Quesnoy – the town of oaks – translated into te reo Māori. You walk into town and are greeted with rue Nouvelle-Zélande, la Maison Waïkato and la Place des All Blacks. New Zealand flags hang from windows; a favourite local restaurant is called “Le Maori 2.0”. It really is remarkable to see such reverence of Aotearoa so far from home.
I would like to thank Museum Director, Elizabeth Wratislav, and the New Zealand Memorial Museum Trust – Le Quesnoy for inviting me to complete my summer internship at Te Arawhata, and all the locals and visitors who welcomed me to Le Quesnoy. It was an experience to remember.