Lest we forget: All Blacks at war
Andrew Mehrtens hosts new WWI ABs documentary
Former All Black Andrew Mehrtens and military historian Chris Pugsley have combined to front a documentary about All Blacks who lost their lives in World War I.
All Blacks at War, which screens on TVNZ 1 on Anzac Day, is a documentary that tells the story of the 13 All Blacks killed in the war.
Their stories are brought to life by Mehrtens, who travels to what was the Western Front, grave to grave, while Pugsley details the dire circumstances they faced.
The documentary came about when producer Jude Dobson was in France last year due to her involvement in the newly opened New Zealand Liberation Museum — Te Arawhata.
Dobson took the opportunity to stay on and film with Mehrtens at the All Blacks’ graves around France and Belgium.
“I found out Mehrts was living in Paris so asked if he was up for some filming . . . he is quite the history buff and was really interested in finding out more about these men.
“We shared quite a few sombre moments together at graves thinking about the lives, and deaths, of these brave men and the many others that surrounded them.”
Mehrtens enjoyed “getting to know them as more than just a number or statistic”.
“I found similarities in our backgrounds for some, like hailing from small-town New Zealand or going to my old high school.”
He mused on how their tight team connections would have translated to a war zone.
“I wondered what it would be like
when, on occasion, these former teammates and their units might cross paths either during the war or afterwards — learning of other
teammates who had lost their lives.”
Once the broadcast was confirmed, Dobson sought the expertise of Pugsley.
“His role is to confer the story of WWI and New Zealand’s part in it. Having someone on camera with the huge depth of knowledge that Chris has is incredibly valuable. He knows the landscape of WWI at every level, right down to the particular circumstances our 13 men faced.”
Pugsley, who lives in Kāpiti’s Waikanae Beach, was more than happy to help out.
“Working on this documentary with Jude was a great delight and I am in awe of Andrew Mehrtens’ brilliance in bringing these New Zealanders back to life in a way that will capture everyone’s hearts.”
Dobson enjoyed getting to know more about the 13 men too.
“They are a bit like old friends to me now. Every man provides an opportunity to tell something different about the war itself, and I think that together, Mehrts and Chris tell the story of our men beautifully.”
Fifty-two All Blacks served in WWI, with one in four of them never returning. The 13 killed were: Albert Downing 1915; Henry Dewar 1915; Frank Wilson 1916; Bobby Black 1916; George Sellers 1917; James Baird 1917; Reg Taylor 1917; Jim McNeece 1917; David Gallaher 1917; Jum Turtill 1918; Eric Harper 1918; Ernie Dodd 1918; Jimmy Ridland 1918.
All Blacks at War will play on TVNZ 1 at midday on Anzac Day and be available thereafter on TVNZ+ and RNZ. A (slightly longer) audio version of the documentary will play on RNZ National after the Dawn Service at 7am and 9pm and thereafter be available online.