Armistice Day service on

The Eltham RSA is holding a special service to commemorate Armistice Day.

People are being encouraged to meet at the Eltham RSA Cemetery at 10.30am for the service which starts at 11am.

This year marks the centenary of the armistice that ended World War I in 1918 after four years of conflict. Around 100,000 New Zealanders served overseas during the war and around 18,000 lost their lives.

Eltham RSA padre Lindsay Maindonald says the cemetery is a beautiful setting for the ceremony which will honour those who fought and served during the war.

People are asked to gather at 10.30am for the ceremony which will get under way at 11am. Lindsay, who had both grandfathers fight in the war, says it was important to commemorate the day and educate future generations. The ceremony will start with a moment’s silence and will feature speakers, a wreath laying ceremony and a lament which will be played by a piper.

Lindsay says the war had a wide reaching effect on New Zealand, and small communities felt the loss of men deeply. Out of the 24 Maata men who went to war, six did not come home. “The war had a big impact on Eltham and surrounding districts.”

The service will be held in wet or fine weather. People are encouraged to wear their medals as they do for Anzac Day.