The Summer Edition

Hello Everyone,

And welcome to the summer edition of the KHS Newsletter. The Committee wishes you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2020!

The highlight since the last newsletter was the gathering held at the Kidd Elliott Reserve, Te Hihi, to remember the 100 year passing of World War 1 and the planting shortly after of the Peace Trees.

Ø Armistice Day – 11 November 2019

Ø The Peace Trees

Ø Karaka Peace Trees

On a cold and gusty Monday morning under the Peace Trees at Te Hihi there was a reflective atmosphere among the group of residents, descendants, war veterans, Franklin Local Board representatives and school students who had gathered to commemorate Armistice Day. The day also marked the 100th anniversary of these majestic trees – planted as a living memorial to those who served and gave their lives in the First World War.

The service began with the National Anthem led by the young students from Te Hihi School who had streamed across the road to be part of the day.

The trees were planted by Ernest Yates and Joseph Batty on the 11 November 1919, so it was fitting that the families of these men were part of the commemoration. David Yates (great grandson of Ernest) spoke movingly of the sacrifice of life and the call for peace that the trees represented to those affected by the war.

The names from the Karaka Roll of Honour were acknowledged and this was followed by a blessing and a tribute to all service men and women from Brett Codlin (great grandson of Joseph Batty).

Noeline Codlin (granddaughter of Joseph Batty) and Jesse Yates and Nathan Thomson (descendants of Ernest Yates) laid floral tributes at the memorial plaque under the trees. This was followed by the spine-tingling “Last Post”, played for us by Thomas Tilsley from ACG Strathallan, and a time for reflection.

The Ode was recited by Capt. Paul Couch (Retd) and Capt. David Robertson (Retd) added to the atmosphere with the haunting notes of the bagpipes, both are retired servicemen from 3rd Auckland and Northland Battalion, Royal NZ Infantry Regiment.

The rousing notes of the “Reveille” marked the end of the service.

Thanks to all those who joined us for this special day of remembrance.

Carol Eggleton

Karaka Historical Society

KARAKA PEACE TREES

Speech given by David Yates – 11/11/2019

Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls

We come together today to remember those servicemen and women who died in World War

Today, throughout New Zealand people are remembering the sacrifice made by so many of our servicemen and women in that terrible war, which ended one hundred and one years ago. At 11 o’clock on the 11th November 1918 the guns stopped firing. The battles ceased, and our troops were able to think of returning to their distant homes and families after four years of the most terrible war ever known.

As part of the British Empire, our nation went to war in 1914, ill prepared for a major war with an enemy that had been preparing for many years. Our troops, with the Australians formed the Australia and N.Z. Army Corps or ANZAC’s and landed at Gallipoli in 1915, along with the British, French and Indian troops to try and wrest control of the sea route through the Dardanelles from Turkish control. Our troops were ill equipped and poorly supported and suffered terrible casualties against impossible odds. From there they were moved to the gentle fields of France in an attempt to stem the relentless tide of the German army.

These fields proved to be far from gentle, and the Somme campaign lasted 5 months with casualties of over one million lives. Fighting was bitter and conditions unbelievably horrible as the troops fought against the much more advanced equipment of the enemy. Our troops were pounded by the German howitzers and their machine guns and when the wind was from the right direction they used poison gas. Against all this our men held on even though they were hungry, thirsty, tired and often knee deep in mud. At the battle of Messines they had a much needed victory, but then at Passchendaele in October 1917 they suffered 2,400 casualties in less than 4 hours. The war rolled on with ever mounting casualties on both sides.

At last in 1918 the tide started to turn. The equipment issued to our troops became as good as or better than the enemy’s. And the United States entered the war with fresh forces and arms. In June and July at the Battle of Amiens, the British troops, with tanks, artillery and aircraft, rolled back the German lines, signaling the approaching end of this terrible war.

At 11am on the 11th November 1918, the Germans surrendered. Those of our brave men and women who survived were able to return to their distant homes and families, leaving 18,000 of their friends buried in foreign lands, with another 42,000 wounded. Over 100,000 of our men and 550 women had served overseas.

My grandfather’s experience was of only being old enough to enlist in the last years of the war and then being laid low by influenza that was picked up in West Africa when the troop ship stopped to pick up coal. There were troops that died from this bug and he was hospitalized in England before being sent home.

On the first anniversary of Armistice Day the 11 November 1919 the residents of our district assembled here to plant two small oak trees in memory of those men and women who gave their lives in this war. They wished to have a living memorial to them. They named the trees “The Peace Trees.”

Today is the centenary of when these trees were planted. As we stand here beneath these mighty oaks, you may be a descendant of those who died, you may be a descendant of those who were present on that day, and we once more give thanks to those men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

Take time to look at these magnificent oak trees and remember not only those who gave their lives for peace, but also those who fought and returned to their homeland and loved ones, carrying the scares of war.

Thee men and women went to war with great sacrifice to themselves and their families who struggled to keep the home front going. They did so because they wanted their descendants to be able to live in peace. For their sacrifice our generation should be forever grateful.

David Yates 11/11/2019.