Anzac Day: A day to remember

A crisp morning has greeted the thousands who have gathered at dawn services throughout the Bay of Plenty this morning to mark the 100th Anzac Day commemorations.

In Mount Maunganui thousands crowded along Marine Parade and Mount Drury next to the Cenotaph at 6am.

Mount Maunganui dawn service. Photos: Tracy Hardy.

The Anzac Day parade members marched along the street as the traditional bagpipes rang out through the early morning darkness.

As members of the Returned Services Association remembered their fallen comrades, younger generations adorned with the medals of their ancestors, and people of all ages came together to honour the ultimate sacrifice made by New Zealand servicemen and woman.

Mount Maunganui RSA president Carol Cook read out The Ode to the fallen and as two Harvard bomber planes flew over the cenotaph the crowd repeated, "We will remember them."

Mount Maunganui RSA chaplain Marie Gilpin says it was during this hour of dawn services when Anzac 'received its baptism of fire”.

'We who are gathered here think of our comrades who went out to battle and didn't return,” says Marie.

'We feel them near us in spirit, we wish to be worthy of their great sacrifice.”

A large crowd was also present at the Tauranga RSA on Cameron Road, Greerton, for the Anzac service – the ode, the last post and minute's silence.

Numbers are expected to be up significantly due to it being 100 years today since the Australian and New Zealand Armed Forces landed on the beaches of Gallipoli in World War One.

Keep checking SunLive for updates from Anzac commemorations across the Bay of Plenty.

Send in your Anzac Day photos: SunLive will be commemorating Anzac Day with coverage of events around the region, but we'd love our readers to send in their own photos of the day. Send all Anzac Day photos to: newsroom@thesun.co.nz

Tauranga Salvation Army musician David Travers-Watt.








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1 comment

Song

Posted on 25-04-2015 15:16 | By porky

what was the name of the song she sung this morning? It was beautiful!!


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