Last action for Anzac firing party
A volley of shots rung out in the darkness to salute fallen soldiers at Cambridge’s Anzac Day Dawn Service.
But it’s likely to be the last time a firing party will carry out this tradition in the Waikato town, on April 25, partly due to the threat of health and safety regulations. For the past 15 years, ex-servicemen have fired a trio of shots at the Cambridge Anzac Day dawn and civic services. This year was their last. There were also no firing parties in neighbouring Hamilton and Matamata, but there was a firing salute at the Morrinsville dawn service.
New Zealand Defence Forces no longer supplied firing parties for Anzac Day services but around the country many exservicemen have taken on the responsibility.
In Cambridge, residents have grown accustomed to the resounding gunfire, with many turning up to morning services to hear the bang, former sergeant Merv Balloch said.
‘‘We hear that firing parties in general are being hit on the head and I think some of it is a result of health and safety regulations, which is a little bit disappointing.
"That’s what a lot of people turn up to hear, the bang,’’ he said.
‘‘If we could, we’d probably keep doing it, but 15 years... I think we’ve done our time.’’
There was a general consensus among the group that their efforts would wind down in
2015, the 100 year anniversary of World War I.
This year marks the commemoration of the end of the war, and is a timely and significant way to finish, Balloch said.
‘‘Seeing the glee on people’s faces and the wee kids running in to pick up the spare cartridges... there’s a collegial atmosphere.
‘‘I hope someone picks it up from us and carries it on.
‘‘We’ve really enjoyed our time and the support from our community,’’ he said.
What started as a bid to save the practices of a firing party in
2004, turned into a decade-long tradition for the men involved.
‘‘We turned up one year and the army didn’t have the resources to put up a firing party,’’ former sergeant Merv Balloch said.
‘‘I talked to some of my colleagues, ex-Delta company members, and we decided we would do it for the [Cambridge] RSA. The RSA was very disappointed that there wasn’t a firing party so I arranged it with them, the local council and New Zealand Police, who were all very supportive of it.’’
When the Anzac Day Dawn Service concluded, the seven men wandered down to the Prince Albert Old English Pub for breakfast.
Upstairs, Balloch was awarded a Community Service Award for his significant contribution to Cambridge and its people.
Their final shots as a party resounded at the Civic Service at Cambridge Town Hall.