Occasion marked throughout South

REQUISITIONED by the New Zealand government and repurposed as a hospital ship, the SS Maheno and its role in World War 1 was honoured in North Otago yesterday.

As Armistice Day centenary commemorations drew thousands across the South, at the small township of Maheno a memorial plaque recognising His Majesty’s Hospital Ship (HMHS)

Maheno was unveiled in front of a crowd of nearly 200.

Kakanui’s April Hayes Dickson, originally from Perth, said her grandfather, Private George William Belstead, of Perth, was seriously wounded and spent ‘‘three miserable days and nights lying on the beach’’ at Gallipoli.

‘‘Things were looking pretty crook: there was no shelter, a shortage of drinking water, and the only available blankets were riddled with lice. And then, as our family story goes, there was a muffled rumour that started and was quickly whispered around the wounded, dying, and shellshocked,’’ she said. ‘‘But with the bombing and the mist and the noise they thought it was an illusion. Noone could quite believe that it was true.

‘‘It was the SS Maheno, and it had come to save my granddad.’’

Originally from Oamaru, Commander Kerry Tutty RNZN, of Wellington, said the ship was converted from a 455passenger ocean liner to a stateoftheart hospital ship for up to 340 patients.

It went on to transport more than 2300 people from Gallipoli, including 331 New Zealanders.

During the Somme campaign the ship carried more 15,000 wounded.

In Oamaru, about 250 people paid their respects at the World War 1 memorial in Lower Thames St.

In Queenstown, a centenary service packed out St Peter’s Church, where the congregation observed a twominute silence, broken at 11am by Last Post and the church bell.

In Queenstown Bay, TSS

Earnslaw’s horn sounded 11 times at 11am, recreating what its Lake Wakatipu predecessor, SS

Ben Lomond, had done 100 years earlier when the signing of the armistice was announced.

In Arrowtown, about 200 people attended a wreathlaying ceremony and service at the Soldiers Hill Cenotaph, organised by the township’s Returned and Services’ Association (RSA).

An afternoon community picnic, featuring live music and a performance by Arrowtown School’s kapa haka group, drew crowds to the Library Green.

A remembrance ceremony was held at the Wanaka War Memorial in Chalmers St, while across town at Pembroke Park, 198 handmade hearts represented the 198 people from Upper Clutha area who served in World War 1.

At Lake Hawea, about 300 people took part in a parade from Peter Fraser Park to the Anzac Peninsula Memorial on the lake’s dam.

In Alexandra, almost 2000 people attended a commemoration in Pioneer Park organised by the combined AlexandraClyde, Cromwell and RoxburghMillers Flat RSAs.

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Charitable Trust members were joined by Central Otago adult and pony club riders for a ‘‘100 horse’’ parade down Tarbert St, around the Alexandra War Memorial and into Pioneer Park.

Smaller services were held in Cromwell, Roxburgh, Omakau, Ranfurly and Oturehua.

Commemorative trees were planted in Omakau and Roxburgh, and a new soldiers’ memorial board unveiled in Oturehua.

A memorial was also unveiled in Alexandra’s Richards Park on Friday, and 10 commemorative trees were planted.

At the Balclutha War Memorial Hall, a crowd of 200 heard Clutha deputy mayor Stewart Cowie speak of the positive things that had happened since the end of World War 1, including advances in medicine and human rights.

In Milton, at the Milton Bruce RSA, Clutha Mayor Bryan Cadogan spoke of the brutality of war and the effect it had on small towns in New Zealand.

Servicemen and women, veterans, RSA members, and representatives of other service groups marched along the main street to about 250 people assembled at the cenotaph where four wreaths were laid.

In Tapanui, more than 180 former pupils celebrating their 150th school anniversary joined more than 500 locals in marking the day with a street festival and parade.

The town’s last surviving World War 2 veteran, antitank gunner Bill Roulston (97) joined in as the West Otago Armistice WW100 committee, sought to recreate the roar heard around the country when it was announced the armistice was signed.

In Invercargill, close to 400 people converged on the cenotaph for the city’s commemorations which began with a performance of Piper’s Lament by the Invercargill Pipe Band. A wreathlaying ceremony was followed by bugler Steve Coatsworth playing Last Post.

A flock of pigeons was released to symbolise doves of peace.

In Bluff, a mix of entertainment, market stalls and children’s activities was combined with an honour wall for soldiers from the area killed during the war.

The Gore Remembrance Day Centenary Service, held at the Gore Cenotaph and attended by 400 people, was livestreamed to the Gore RSA Facebook page. Gore RSA president Jarrod Scott said the RSA planned to use the livestream tool for future services.

Hamish MacLean, Guy Williams, Pam Jones, John Cosgrove, Ben Waterworth and Ashleigh Martin contributed to this report.

PHOTO: JOHN TAYLOR Community spirit . . . About 300 people joined a parade, led by a World War 1 ambulance, from Lake Hawea’s Peter Fraser Park to the Anzac Peninsula Memorial.

PHOTO: CAROL EDWARDS Peace . . . Waitaki district councillor Guy Percival, who served in the former Rhodesia, lays a wreath at Oamaru’s World War 1 memorial in Lower Thames St.

PHOTO: PAM JONES Poppies of remembrance . . . Members of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Charitable Trust lead a ‘‘100 horse’’ parade past Alexandra’s war memorial yesterday. The Mounted Rifles were joined by other Central Otago adult and pony club riders in the parade, which was followed by a service in Pioneer Park and Mounted Rifle Games.

PHOTO: SUPPLIED Living history . . . Disembarking from TSS Earnslaw are some of the 30 guests from the Queenstown and Arrowtown RSAs who were invited for a trip across Lake Wakatipu. A remembrance ceremony was held during the cruise and the steamship’s horn was sounded 11 times.

PHOTO: JO BOYD/RIVERLEA PHOTOGRAPHY For the fallen . . . Queenstown RSA president Lyall McGregor recites the Ode of Remembrance at a service at the Soldiers Hill Cenotaph in Arrowtown.

PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE Looking to the future . . . Clutha deputy mayor Stewart Cowie speaks to a crowd of 200 at the Clutha District RSA’s Armistice Day ceremony yesterday.

PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE On parade . . . Servicemen and women march through the centre of Tapanui to commemorate the end of World War 1 during a gala street party held there.

PHOTO: BEN WATERWORTH Dressing for the occasion . . . Angus and Elaine Petrie, of Bluff, show their 1918 Model T Ford dressed up as a medical vehicle from World War 1.

PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE A tune for the day . . . Tapanui’s last surviving World War 2 veteran Bill Roulston plays a tune as he takes part in the street parade through Tapanui to commemorate the end of World War 1 during a gala street party yesterday.

PHOTO: HAMISH MACLEAN Roots . . . Former Oamaruvian and St Kevin’s College pupil Commander Kerry Tutty RNZN, of Wellington, shares the history of the HMHS Maheno at the hospital ship’s namesake North Otago town yesterday.

PHOTO: JOHN COSGROVE Parading in Milton . . . The formal Milton Bruce RSA parade turns off the main street in Milton to enter the grounds of the cenotaph, where wreaths were laid during Armistice Day commemorations yesterday.

PHOTO: HAMISH MACLEAN Family history . . . Kakanui’s April Hayes Dickson, originally of Perth, Australia, recounts how HMHS Maheno saved her grandfather from the beach at Gallipoli.