The change in the face of conflict
Having experienced it first hand, Gore returned serviceman Bradley Bridgman believes the face of modern conflict has changed unrecognisably from his grandfather’s day.
Bridgman rose to become a platoon commander in the New Zealand Army’s 1st Battalion over his five-and-a-half years in the armed forces, and enjoyed what he describes as a ‘‘varied and interesting’’ range of deployments during that time.
Those included arriving as part of the first wave of NZ peacekeepers to be sent to East Timor in 1999, and a subsequent exchange attachment to a British peacekeeping unit in Kosovo.
An increased emphasis on ‘‘peacekeeping’’ in the modern combat amphitheatre meant his experiences had differed substantially from those of his grandfather and fellow Anzac, Frederick John Bridgman.
‘‘[Frederick] served as a private during the Italian Campaign of early 1944, which began in the depths of winter,’’ he said.
‘‘He was involved in the famous Battle of Monte Cassino, and in fact was wounded during that campaign, having to return home as a result. He also lost two brothers during WWII. In common with a lot of men of that era, he didn’t necessarily talk about his experiences in great detail, but that in itself speaks volumes.’’
The activities of today’s peacekeepers were more orientated towards maintaining stability in regions where conflict was otherwise liable to cause chaos for local civilian populations.
‘‘After seeing what everyday people have to go through elsewhere around the world, you just realise how lucky we are here in New Zealand,’’ Bridgman said.
Downplaying his own contributions under the Anzac banner, Bridgman’s admiration for past generations of Anzacs was boundless, however.
‘‘This is a time to commemorate those people who’ve fought for our freedom, some of whom weren’t even asked, and some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us to live the life we do today. Not everyone might agree, but I believe you can’t give any more than that,’’ he said.
It was a sense of pride and respect he was actively encouraging in the next generation of Bridgmans.
‘‘I’ve got three kids, aged 11, nine and six, and they’ve worn Frederick’s medals at past Anzac Day commemorations.
‘‘They’re very interested in the history and relevance of the ceremonies, and I’d like to think they have an appreciation of what those who didn’t return gave up on their and everybody’s behalf.’’
And what if any of his children were one day to show an interest in serving in the Armed Forces themselves?
‘‘I’d definitely encourage the next generation to consider joining up, if it was a good fit.’’
Active as a committee member for Gore RSA, Bridgman was eager to see more of the younger generations of returned servicemen and women reforge their Anzac links.
‘‘I think some of those who, like me, have served abroad but not in the major 20th century conflicts, can sometimes feel detached from the Anzac tradition.’’