NATIONAL COMMEMORATION TO MARK THE 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE LANDINGS

THURSDAY 6 JUNE 2019 HALL OF MEMORIES PUKEAHU NATIONAL WAR MEMORIAL PARK D-Day historical background

Officially it was , but most people called it D-Day (a military planning term in which D stands for the intended day of operations). The attack launched across the English Channel on the night of 5/6 June 1944 was an amphibious assault on an unprecedented scale. Although initial planning went back further, the Allies had decided to open a second front, long urged by the , the year before. General Dwight D. Eisenhower was appointed commander of Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force (SHAEF), with General in charge of the 21st Army Group, the land forces involved in the invasion.

The Allies had near-total supremacy at sea and in the air. The German army was still a formidable force but by mid-1944 it was badly stretched, bogged down in and reeling from Soviet attacks on the Eastern Front. Hitler had appointed Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, an old foe of Anzac soldiers in North Africa, to strengthen the Atlantic Wall with additional guns, mines and anti-tank obstructions.

While Rommel knew that an assault was inevitable, he did not know its precise location or timing. As Pas de Calais was just 34 kilometres from Dover, it seemed the most obvious target, so the Germans gave priority to strengthening its coastal and anti-aircraft defences. In the event the Allies chose a longer sea route to get to the more lightly defended Normandy coast. Although much further away from England (160 kilometres), this was more conveniently located for resupply through the big harbours of Portsmouth and Southampton.

Allied preparations were meticulous. While shipyards and factories churned out ships, aircraft, vehicles and munitions on both sides of the Atlantic, Special Forces surveyed the beaches and the coasts. Personnel from all three services practised combined operations, the difficult co-ordination of sea, air and land forces. Allied commanders used dummy ships and land forces to keep the Germans guessing. All the time, Allied aircraft, by now only weakly opposed by the German air force, conducted reconnaissance Cover image: flights and pounded the French railway network to make it difficult for the Back from an operation with 485 (NZ) squadron. Normandy campaign. Maurice Mayston-left (Maurice Mayston Collection) Germans to move men and machines up to the landing zones.

2 3 Planners had to take every variable into account – enemy defences, tides aluminium foil – to trick German radar operators into thinking that the main and the weather. Here New Zealander Lieutenant-Commander Lawrence fleet was attacking north of Normandy. Hogben played an important role in the Admiralty meteorological team. Its advice persuaded Eisenhower to delay D-Day, originally planned for 5 June, British troops landed on the Sword and Gold beaches, the Canadians on by a day so weather and sea conditions would be more suitable. Juno and the Americans on Utah and Omaha. Omaha proved a bloody killing ground. The Allies did not achieve all their objectives that day, but The invasion force was dominated by American, British and Canadian held onto beachheads that they could defend and enlarge. troops. Although the bulk of ’s frontline army was fighting in Italy, a few soldiers were present as individuals. Brigadier James Hargest, D-Day’s statistics were impressive. More than 6000 ships set sail, covered by who was present on 6 June as an official New Zealand observer, would be the aircraft of around 200 squadrons. Allied aircraft flew more than 14,000 killed by a shell in August 1944. sorties on 6 June, vastly overshadowing the Luftwaffe’s 100. By day’s end, 153,000 Allies troops had crossed the Channel, 130,000 by sea and 23,000 by The majority of the New Zealand participants came from the air. The Germans would fight back, but within a month there would be over and its Fleet Air Arm (in which a total of about 4700 were a million Allied troops on liberated French soil. serving in 1944) and the (nearly 6000). For the remainder of 1944 New Zealanders continued to make an important There were no New Zealand warships off the Normandy beaches, but contribution at sea and in the air. Merchant seafarers served on the hospital observers may have spotted the familiar outlines of the Union Steam Ship ships and transports that shuttled back and forth across the Channel, Company’s passenger liners Monowai and Aorangi, now painted grey and protected by a powerful shield of naval vessels. New Zealand airmen serving as an assault landing ship and a depot ship respectively. Elsewhere, helped maintain air superiority over the battlefield and hammered enemy New Zealanders could be found crewing just about every type of Royal strongpoints and supply lines, with many soon operating from forward Navy ship. Poet and printer Denis Glover was one of them. Like many that airfields in . Among them was Desmond Scott, aged just 25, who led day, he commanded an assault craft, in his case the infantry landing craft a mobile wing of Typhoon fighter-bomber squadrons in devastating, but HMS LCI(S) 515. He later wrote about ‘conning a shipload of one hundred dangerous, low-level attacks on German ground forces. and four hefty Commandoes, fifteen seamen and two officers of my own, running on a timetable towards terror.’ The terror did not stop him from Paris was liberated in late August and by the end 1944 the Germans had winning the DSC for ‘exemplary courage and the utmost determination.’ been ejected from almost all of France and Belgium. Much hard fighting still The following month Aucklander Ted Tangye would have to swim for lay ahead, but the end of the war in Europe was in sight. it when his destroyer, HMS Isis, hit a mine and sank off the Normandy beaches. Ten New Zealand ratings lost their lives that night.

New Zealand had seven squadrons with a dominion identity in the RAF, two in Bomber Command, three in Fighter Command and two in Coastal Command. Four of these squadrons formed part of the Second Tactical Air Force (2 TAF) commanded by Air Vice-Marshal Arthur Coningham, who had served in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force at Gallipoli. A Spitfire from 485 (NZ) Squadron claimed the first German aircraft of the day. Most New Zealand aircrew flew with British squadrons, towing gliders, bombing German positions and prowling for enemy aircraft. Les Munro of Dambusters fame flew with 617 Squadron to drop ‘Window’ – strips of 4 5 Trucks on landing craft being prepared for the trip ashore, Normandy 1944. OC1049 National Museum of the

6 7 Pilots with No 485 (NZ) Squadron on the morning of D-Day. Royal Marine Commanders disembark from Landing Craft Infantry (LCI) on the Normandy HIST826 Air Force Museum coast. APE0020 National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy

Sword Beach, 7 June 1944, the day after D-Day. Veterans Messers Pen Moore, Hugh Findlater, Jim Kelly, Colin Kemp and Alan Davis attend AUC0066 National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy the New Zealand Commemoration at the War Cemetery, France 2014.

photo courtesy of nzdf 8 9 Normandy. AUC0065 National Museum of the Royal New Zealand Navy

10 11 ORDER OF SERVICE KARANGA The karanga is called by June Jackson MNZM, Taranaki Whānui, supported ARRIVAL by Peter Jackson, Taranaki Whānui, as the Official Party proceed into the Official guests are welcomed by Rear Admiral David Ledson ONZM (Rtd), foyer of the Hall of Memories Chair of the National War Memorial Advisory Council and Colin Holden, Deputy Chief Executive, Ministry for Culture and Heritage Please stand

The Honourable Ron Mark PROCESSIONAL Minister of Defence and Minister for Veterans Rangimarie, the Peace Bell tolls six times as the Official Party processes to and the front of the Hall of Memories Christine Tracey THE CATAFALQUE GUARD MOUNTS IN THE HALL His Excellency Mr Leasi Papali’i Tommy Scanlon OF MEMORIES Dean of the Diplomatic Corps THE QUEEN’S COLOUR OF THE ROYAL NEW Nicola Willis MP representing the Opposition ZEALAND AIR FORCE IS MARCHED IN

Air Marshal Kevin Short NATIONAL ANTHEM Chief of Defence Force and Please remain standing for the National Anthem Sherryll Short Led by Anon Vocal Ensemble Rear Admiral Jack Steer (Rtd) Chief Executive Aotearoa Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association E Ihowā Atua, O ngā iwi mātou rā The Official Party move up the steps to the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior Āta whakarangona; Me aroha noa RESPECTS PAID AT THE TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN Kia hua ko te pai; WARRIOR Kia tau tō atawhai; Whakamaharatanga, the Remembrance Bell tolls four times as the Official Manaakitia mai Party pay their respects at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior Aotearoa

12 13 God Defend New Zealand PRAYER OF REMEMBRANCE God of Nations at Thy feet, Chaplain Class 2 Di Woods In the bonds of love we meet, New Zealand Defence Force Hear our voices, we entreat, God defend our free land LAYING OF WREATHS Guard Pacific’s triple star Wreaths are laid by: From the shafts of strife and war, Make her praises heard afar, The Honourable Ron Mark and Christine Tracey God defend New Zealand on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand

Please be seated Nicola Willis MP on behalf of the of the Opposition WELCOME Master of Ceremonies Ray Brookes and Philip Stewart Brodie Stubbs on behalf of veterans Manager Memorials and Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage His Excellency Mr Zbigniew Gniatkowski Ambassador OPENING PRAYER on behalf of the Government and people of the Republic of Chaplain Class 2 Di Woods New Zealand Defence Force His Excellency Mr Mario Bot High Commissioner PROLOGUE on behalf of the Government and people of Rear Admiral David Ledson ONZM (Rtd) Chair, National War Memorial Advisory Council His Excellency Mr Gerhard Thiedemann Ambassador COMMEMORATIVE ADDRESS on behalf of the Government and people of Germany The Honourable Ron Mark Minister of Defence and Minister for Veterans His Excellency Mr Scott Brown Ambassador on behalf of the Government and people of the United States of America VOCAL ITEM Anon Vocal Ensemble sings Her Excellency Ms Mira Woldberg Ambassador READING on behalf of the Government and people of the Netherlands Air Marshall Kevin Short Chief of Defence Force

Excerpts from D-Day, Denis Glover, 1944

14 15 Her Excellency Ms Sylvaine Carta Le-Vert Jack Spencer Ambassador Scots College on behalf of the Government and people of France and Mr Andrew Cumpston Deputy High Commissioner Charlotte Conroy on behalf of the Government and people of Rovers Scouts representing youth Ms Helen Smith Deputy High Commissioner During the wreath laying Anon Vocal Ensemble sings on behalf of the Government and people of the from the rear of the Great Hall

Air Marshal Kevin Short and Sherryll Short PRAYER IN COMMEMORATION OF THE 75th on behalf of the men and women of the New Zealand Defence Force and ANNIVERSARY OF THE their families Chaplain Class 2 Di Woods New Zealand Defence Force Joseph Romanos representing the Mayor of Wellington Please stand on behalf of the City of Wellington THE COMMEMORATION Trevor Appleton on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Naval Association Last Post Air Commodore Terry Gardiner MNZM (Rtd) Uniformed personnel salute on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Air Force Association The flag of New Zealand on the upper forecourt is lowered to half mast Lewis Robinson on behalf of the Merchant Navy Association

Pauline Patterson on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Women’s Naval Association

Frank Clark and John Watson on behalf of the British Airborne Forces (NZ) Inc

Rear Admiral Jack Steer (Rtd) on behalf of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association

16 17 The Ode RECESSIONAL Warrant Officer Jack Rudolph The Official Party process to the Foyer New Zealand Defence Force In the Foyer, The Honourable Ron Mark and Christine Tracey are invited E kore rātou e kaumātuatia to sign the Visitors’ Book. The Official Party then move to the Tomb of the Pēnei i a tātou kua mahue nei Unknown Warrior E kore hoki rātou e ngoikore Ahakoa pēhea i ngā āhuatanga o te wā FLORAL TRIBUTES LAID ON THE TOMB OF THE I te hekenga atu o te rā UNKNOWN WARRIOR Tae noa ki te aranga mai i te ata The Honourable Ron Mark, Christine Tracey, Air Marshal Kevin Short and Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou Sheryll Short place floral tributes on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior

Response: Ka maumahara tonu tātou ki a rātou Other members of the Official Party place floral tributes on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior Rear Admiral Jack Steer (Rtd) Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association DEPARTURE Departing officials are farewelled from Anzac Square by Rear Admiral David They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old Ledson ONZM (Rtd), Chair of the National War Memorial Advisory Council Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn and Colin Holden, Deputy Chief Executive, Ministry for Culture and Heritage At the going down of the sun and in the morning We will remember them Guests and veterans are invited to place poppies on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior Response: We will remember them

1 minute silence

ROUSE The flag of New Zealand on the upper forecourt is raised to full mast head

THE BLESSING Chaplain Class 2 Di Woods, New Zealand Defence Force, delivers the Peace Prayer and Blessing

18 19 Beau fighters from the ANZAC Strike Wing showing the black and white stripes painted on all allied aircraft for identification. PR10335 Air Force Museum

20 21 Armourers from No. 486 (NZ) Squadron preparing a 20mm canon for their Tempest Aircraft. PR6125 Air Force Museum

22 23 This National Commemorative Service was arranged by the Visits and Ceremonial Office, Department of Internal Affairs, in partnership with the Ministry for Culture and Heritage, the New Zealand Defence Force, and the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association