Annually ANZAC Day is a busy time for No. 41 Squadron. This year the squadron attended 4 ANZAC Day ceremonies around Porirua to honour those who have gone before.
An early start around 4.30am meant the cadets and officers were able to assemble at Porirua RSA for a little bit of marching practice, to help wake up, before the ceremony got underway at dawn. The weather was kind, being dry and still, which led to a very large turnout. With the tri-corps honour guard in place at the front of the RSA, the remaining cadets formed up in the parade that included veterans, the police college representatives, service men and others.
The dawn service included a 3 shot volley by the NZ Army, which definitely made sure everyone was fully awake! Once the service was complete all the attendees filed inside the RSA where the cadets served breakfast to all before tucking in themselves.
The second service of the day was the main Porirua civic parade at the cenotaph on Lyttleton Avenue. Again a tri-corps honour guard formed around the cenotaph before the even bigger parade marched down Hagley Street, led by Porirua Brass Band, to form up in front of the cenotaph. With addresses from representatives from the RSA, the mayor and special guest Lieutenant Colonel Sir Harawira Gardiner KNZM. Cadets from the 3 corps read the names of the fallen, including Leading Air Cadet Eagle from No. 41 Squadron. Impressively each year these ANZAC Day services just keep getting bigger and bigger, with more people making the effort to attend.
From the civic service the tri-corps honour guard raced over to Pauatahanui to attend the small service there, while the remainder of No. 41 Squadron retired to TS Taupo to take a break before attending the final ceremony of the day. The cadets were treated to a McDonalds breakfast to keep up their energy levels while they relaxed at the unit, and by 11.30am the honour guard had returned and the squadron relocated to Whenu Tapu cemetary.
Here the squadron undertook the honour guard duties without the other corps, and for this short service the unit formed up alongside the roundabout that houses the flagpole and wreath hooks of the cenotaph.
Overall the cadets did their usual wonderful job, looking very smart and providing a credible prescence at each service. Congratulations go to the honour guard who had to re-learn the rifle drill with the Norinco rifles, when the usual DPTA (Drill Purpose Training Aids) were ordered to be replaced by Norinco rifles at the 11th hour.
Photos:- 1 to 2 – Dawn Parade Porirua RSA, 3 to 11 – Civic Service Porirua, 12 to 13 – Whenu Tapu cemetry service
