Honouring servicemen from a land down under
FINALLY, after a three-year hiatus, the annual ANZAC ceremony at Cannock Chase Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery took place on Sunday, April 24. The weather was good, a pleasant breeze keeping everyone cool.
The Stafford branch of the Royal British Legion has restructured the event, including the seating plan to avoid the sun blazing into the eyes of those attending. Instead of entering via the road and front gates, this year the standard bearers from around the
Midlands entered the cemetery through the gate to the side, following Staffordshire bull terrier Corporal Watchman VI and handler Geoff Hedges. It was the first ANZAC ceremony for Watchman VI since taking over the role.
There are 73 New Zealanders buried within the cemetery. The 5th (Reserve) Battalion of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade was based at Brocton from September 1917 and the New Zealand troops conducted the first ANZAC ceremony at Cannock
Chase in April 1918. In the month of November 1918, as the First World War ended, 42 riflemen succumbed to the Spanish Flu and are buried at the cemetery.
One other ‘New Zealander’ is also buried on Cannock Chase – Freda, the brigade’s harlequin great dane mascot, who ‘inspected’ the riflemen on the parade ground and also accompanied them on route marches across Cannock Chase. A granite headstone, provided by the Friends of Cannock
Chase, marking her grave near the parade ground is about a mile from the CWGC cemetery.
The New Zealand Rifle Brigade left the camp in June 1919. The following year, local people took it upon themselves to place floral tributes on each grave to remember those who had travelled ‘from the uttermost ends of the earth’ and did not return home.
There are Australian servicemen buried near Hixon. One Australian,
Warrant Officer John Burrows, who married a local woman, is buried at Cannock civilian cemetery. His grave has been tended for nearly 30 years by Cannock-born Wayne Hartshorne. Wayne, with the help of his friend Richard Pursehouse of the Chase Project, has managed to trace Burrows’s relatives in Australia and Wayne spoke to them in the morning before the ANZAC ceremony. The relatives hope to come over in April 2023, the 75th anniversary of Warrant Officer Burrows’ crash. Wayne placed a wooden cross on their behalf at the grave.
Cannock Chase CWGC cemetery is the first cemetery in the world where Dolores Cross cross-poppies were placed on each New Zealand grave by members of the Chase Project. The cross-poppies are handmade by Dolores Ho, archivist at the National Army Museum in New Zealand, from locally sourced flax, the Harakeke plant, and incorporate a New Zealand Returned Services Association poppy. This year a new supply of crosses has been sent over especially for the event.
The drum head service on Sunday, April 24, was conducted by the RBL County Chaplain Reverend John Davies, and the Venerable Matthew Parker, Bishop of Stafford.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was represented by Mark Culbert, who complimented the gardeners’ hard work over the past few weeks to ensure the cemetery is immaculate for the ceremony.
The Riders for the RBL were out in force. Other groups attending included the Western Front Association’s Wolverhampton branch, withwreath-layer Evelyn Slater dressed as a First World War VAD nurse, the Chase Project Group, Rugeley’s Landor Society (Marion Kettle), various cadet groups, 116 Provost Company (1st Regiment Royal Military Police, based in Cannock) under Captain John Bailey, and the Friends of Cannock Chase. The musical accompaniment was, as usual, provided by Rugeley’s Lea Hall Brass Band, plus the Mercian (V) Corps of Drums.
Everyone was welcomed by Rever
end Davis and Bishop Parker, who commented on the situation in the Ukraine with a Biblical reference from the Book of Isiah:
“And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”
Bringing the comment up to date, he commented that tanks and rockets were the modern equivalents of swords and spears.
The Lord Lieutenant of Staffordshire, Ian Dudson CBE, then opened the ceremony and Janet Elson read out the ANZAC eulogy.
Local Members of Parliament Amanda Milling (Cannock Chase) and Theo Clarke (Stafford) were present, as were the Mayors of Stafford, Walsall, Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Newcastle, Tamworth, Lichfield and Stoke on Trent, the Vice-chairman of Cannock Chase Council, as well as Brigadier Jim Bliss of the New Zealand Defence Force, Captain David Mcewan Royal New Zealand Navy, and Captain Frank de Waard of the Australian Army, and the MD of Alrewas National Memorial Arboretum,
Philippa Rawlinson.
After the wreath laying around the Cross of Sacrifice, the Royal British
Legion (Stafford) Chairman, Lieutenant Colonel E.C. Dale OBE, read out the Kohima Epitaph:
“When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.”
Corporal Watchman VI performed his final duty of leading the standard bearers out of the cemetery, although he was centre of attention for those wanting a photo with him.
Brigadier Bliss and Captain Mcewan managed to schedule in laying a wreath at Freda’s grave, plus a Dolores Cross, and also visited the First World War Hut at Marquis Drive Visitors’ Centre (WS12 4PW) where they inspected the Nga Tapuwae (‘in the footsteps’) information panel outside the hut and spoke with the volunteers there. The hut is open every weekend during the summer. Brigadier Bliss thanked Richard Pursehouse of the Chase Project for the quick tour of Freda’s grave and the First World War Hut and said he intended to organise a longer visit during the summer to appreciate fully the time the New Zealand Rifle Brigade spent on Cannock Chase.
Brigadier Bliss, Captain Mcewan and Captain de Waard did not leave empty handed as Richard sent them on their way with a bottle of the award-winning Haka Pale Ale, brewed by Slater’s Ales based in Stafford.