New Zealand will be fully represented at Gallipoli this year — with a borrowed bugle and some swapped uniforms.
In the spirit of the Anzacs, some of the makeshift provisions have been arranged by our Australian comrades.
As a result, the New Zealand Defence Force has confirmed it will perform ceremonial roles at Gallipoli’s dawn service — despite some of the group’s luggage being lost last week.
The contingent arrived in Turkey last week, but weather-related disruptions at Dubai Airport meant only 41 out of 57 checked luggage items arrived at the team’s hotel on Tuesday evening (local time).
NZDF Gallipoli lead John McLeod said the team was now prepared to “fully carry out their ceremonial roles” at Gallipoli Anzac Day commemorations with “a bit of swapping and resizing” of kits.
“We are short of band equipment and ceremonial uniforms — including lemon squeezer hats — but contingent members who don’t have ceremonial roles have generously given their uniform items to those that do,” he said.
He said the Australian Defence Force had been very supportive and one of its band members had loaned a bugle to the New Zealand player for the Last Post. It would also provide a band at Chunuk Bair for the New Zealand service.
“All our team, including those without uniforms will participate in the Chunuk Bair service,” McLeod said.
“It has been a case of coming up with solutions to each problem and the contingent have done this really well collectively. Morale is high and we have a very positive attitude towards making the commemorations a fitting tribute to those who have walked this ground before us.”
The vicinity of the commemoration is where more than a thousand New Zealanders died between August 8-10, 1915.