Steam train trip tells journey of war
Commemorations to mark the centenary of New Zealand’s ‘‘blackest day’’, during the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I, won’t be limited to memorials and museums this week.
Staff at Te Papa are leading the charge in the capital, with a large programme of events planned in coming days – several of which will incorporate a vintage steam train. ‘‘The locomotive, which is actually named Passchendaele, was the NZ Railways memorial to the workers who fell during World War I, so we wanted to incorporate it,’’ public programme specialist Stephen Moorhouse said.
The museum partnered with Steam Incorporated, KiwiRail and the Ministry of Culture and Heritage to bring the programme to life. Moorhouse also enlisted the help of Wellington playwright Dave Armstrong to create a play to be performed on board – a challenge he was happy to rise to.
‘‘One driving reason for me was that it’s one of those battles that I think is far more important than the amount of publicity and attention it gets.’’
During a 40-minute journey from Wellington to Trentham, passengers will be able to imagine what it was like to go to war in 1917 while hearing from Armstrong’s four World War I characters: three soldiers and a nurse, all in uniform.
‘‘The journey out is full of hope, capturing the optimism of the time and how happy people were to be involved.
‘‘However, the return journey is much bleaker,’’ Armstrong said. ‘‘It’s a two-part journey. ‘‘You see the characters’ state of mind before they went and then again afterwards.’’
Balancing the sombre nature of the battle and the huge loss of life with something designed to entertain proved a challenge for Armstrong but he was happy with what he had come up with.
‘‘People don’t want to be bombarded with bad news but at the same time, it’s about giving people a mix of stories.
‘‘It’s not what I’d call a commemoration ceremony; it’s just about telling the stories of Passchendaele.’’
In terms of lives lost in a single day, the failed attack on Bellevue Spur on October 12 was probably the greatest disaster in New Zea- land’s history with about 2700 New Zealand casualties.
They included about 950 men who died in the attack or were mortally wounded and died later.
Some of the wounded bled to death, unable to be rescued. Others who were injured on that day died later. Unlike Gallipoli, no complicated myth about national identity has been salvaged from Passchendaele.
Te Papa’s official commemorations will take place today, October 12, the 100th anniversary of the terrible battle and will feature the Royal New Zealand Air Force Band.