Paying My Respects to the 28th Maori Battalion.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Directly next to the Tram Station Café in Foxton is a little room that serves as a memorial to New Zealand’s 28th Maori Battalion .

The Battalion has it’s own website that shows many photographs and tells the story of their fighting efforts:

http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/.

I followed the interactive map on the site and whilst I knew that the Maori Battalion had seen active service in Italy and Greece, I was unaware that they had also been active in the Middle East and North Africa, in an area that stretched from Syria to Tebaga Gap in Tunisia.

I see at there are many New Zealand War Graves in Italy and found this site to be so moving that one day when we visit Italy I would like to incorporate a visit to at least one of these grave sites to pay my respects.

Having had members of my Dutch family caught up and  involved in the Second World War,  I have an idea of how hard it must be for many families who’s friends and loved ones lie buried in a county far away on the other side of the world.

Even after all these years, actually especially  after all these years, we should show respect for the freedom they gave their lives to give us and show that we have firstly: not forgotten them, and secondly: that we appreciate their efforts.

I live a half day’s drive away from the fields of Flanders, so aim to visit graves there too in the future.

In the meantime I am reminded of everything that the Maori Battalion (and all Kiwi’s in the Armed Services) have done as I read some of the newspaper clippings and gaze at the faces in  the photographs.  I like that all of  this is accessible to the public ad very much enjoy my time looking around.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Remembering Opunake… a Fitting Memorial.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I’m still  not finished with murals in Opunake… they are almost literally around every corner.

Not surprisingly the Opunake War Memorial is not just a physical memorial but also depicted in a mural, consisting of three main parts:  from left to right, first  there is a tall masted sailing ship and a depiction of what I think are the very first local Maori and Pakeha (white settler) settlements, then secondly, past the beach is a Maori war canoe, native bush with the war memorial itself and Mount Taranaki  looms in the background.

The third section of the mural optically bends the view, morphing it into a turn of the century street view with local landmark buildings of the main street and a horse and rider making their way down the street.

Once again… cool! I’m loving the community spirit of this place, and this is reinforced by the sign that thanks local for shopping locally and supporting local businesses (as I believe we all should, where ever possible).

Mount Taranaki sits in the background not only in the graphic on the walls but also physically… yet another beautiful landmark in this town full of charm.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

They Deserve No Less…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Following on from yesterday’s post we are still in the small New Zealand town of  Paeroa, famous as the place where the Kiwi iconic  drink  ”Lemon and  Paeroa ”  originated.

As we travel though town I suddenly see a war memorial and luckily there’s a car park close by so I can get some photos out of the passenger window (yes it’s still raining like someone pulled the plug out of a heavenly bath) .

I have a fondness for small town war memorials,  and this one is certainly very different to most I have seen…  The first difference that I can see is that in this spot at least there is a flag pole but no obvious name board honouring the local fighting men and women, but there is a plaque dedicated to all who fell in the service of their country.

The second unusual aspect is the inclusion of actual military equipment, one each side of the flagpole.  The smaller of the two is at a guess, an anti-aircraft machine gun and the second is either a gun or small cannon (which is about as technical as I can possibly get on the subject of military equipment).

The third unusual aspect is the inclusion of a background mural…  I’ve never seen a mural at a war memorial before and it’s even more unusual because not only does it depict people who served their country but astonishingly, seemingly also actual battles as well.

It’s certainly not a a shy and retiring war memorial that people could absently walk by,  it catches your eye and hold your attention. I dare say that if it hadn’t been raining bathtubs, Little Mr. would have been more than delighted to take a closer look at the weaponry on offer (we don’t have play guns in our home but he’s still a typical boy who likes to pretend to be an action hero).

Ok, so this isn’t your “conventional” war memorial, but you know, I love the effort that’s been put in here… clearly it commands attention and respect and if it can stop a random passer-by like me in their tracks  (yeah, I know I’m probably a bit weirder in that I’m vastly more prone than most for noticing quirky things) but the point is, you really see this… right in the main street it gets your attention, turns your head and makes you think.

But for people who served and  paid the ultimate sacrifice … they deserve no less.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Beautiful Church and Moving Memorial…

O.K…. it’s late afternoon in a Northern European March, the sun coming from some angles wasn’t making for brilliant photos.. but this Church was beautiful in real life details…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

..and this is the war memorial to the Unknown Soldier… I found it really quite moving, and went and held it’s hand…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

I Need to Confess to my weird Photographic Fascination with…

(photograph © Kiwidutch) (Wellington, New Zealand)

I  have a confession to make: I have  a photographic fascination with some rather weird themes.

Doors, Door-knockers and letterboxes you already know about, now its time to ‘fess up to another one:

Manhole covers.

I already know I need life, (that is clear by now), but I seem to have some sort of magnetic attraction to the different patterns that appear on manhole covers,  if my camera is in my pocket then I can not resist the urge to take a photo.

Therefore I totally “get” why my six-year-old son simply can’t walk around a puddle.

It’s like a siren song… and once you’ve taken your first manhole cover photo or jumped in your first puddle,  it’s hooks are in you and you can never just let the next one pass by without a small indulgence…

I was in for a treat whilst visiting friends in Münster , Germany one weekend early last year… not only are there an array of different manhole covers that feature commemorative plaques of different sorts, but while gazing at my feet I noticed that they have also placed little brass  plaques into the cobbles of  the street in memoria to former Jewish citizens who lost their lives during the second world war.

They are tiny (not more than 6 cm/ 2 inches across) but movingly beautiful.

Psst … wanna see my manhole cover collection? (oops, that’s didn’t sound right did it?)  Would it be more politically correct to say Please review my “sanitation,  aqua transportation and disposal safety inspection receptical protection system devices? Yep… catchy and non-gender specific,  …perfect!

If you wish in indulge my insanity, I  have a collection of  “safety inspection receptical protection system devices” for your viewing…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch) (Spain)

The Münster Collection:

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

A close-up…. as far a I can tell it says: “Here lived Hedwig Feibes, (Born:Cohn) Date of birth (?) 1895, Deported 1942, Theresienstadt (=street name) until 1943 in Auschwitz.”

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

Is “De Verwoeste Stad” and the pain of a “The City Destroyed”…

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

If you go around the side of the  Maritime Museum, you will quickly see an open “plein” (square) with an imposing statue in it.

This, probably the best known statue in Rotterdam was sculpted by the Russian artist Ossip Zadkine and has been a landmark feature in the city since it was unveiled in 1953.

In Dutch it’s known by two names: “De Verwoeste Stad” (The Destroyed City) and “Stad zonder hart” (City without a heart).

Ossip Zadkine produced the work  in bronze after witnessing the devastation and destruction of Rotterdam’s city centre after German bombs rained down in World War Two.  Zadkine had been in Paris and came to the Netherlands to visit a friend, and passing by the ruined city was shocked at seeing what was little was left of the centre first-hand.

This is the memorial to the day in 1940 when only a few buildings survived the bombing raids intact and the history and heart of the city was all but wiped out.

The  hole in the statue where the heart would have been, represents that destruction of the Rotterdam’s heart,  and 04 May every year   “Nationale Dodenherdenking” / “Herdenkingsdag“  is observed , the Dutch National Day of Remembrance.

On 04 May, the Dutch gather the length and breadth of the country to commemorate these fallen in military conflict and in peacekeeping service and to observe a two minute silence. This memorial is now one of The Netherlands major sites for this commemoration.

The figure clearly represents pain, the arms are outstretched to the sky in agony. It’s a compelling image and with reminders like these we are hopefully inspired and reminded that making Peace is always the better option than making war.

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)