The return of the Unknown Warrior in November 2004 was a major project for the Ministry and a major event for New Zealand.
Several years in the planning, the original idea for a New Zealand Tomb of the Unknown Warrior goes back over eighty years to when New Zealand was represented at the re-interment ceremony for a British soldier at Westminster Abbey, on 11 November 1920.
Following the ceremony, the New Zealand Prime Minister, William Massey, indicated his government's wish to bring home the remains of an unknown New Zealand serviceman. Concerns relating to funding prevented the project going ahead at that time, and again after it was raised following World War Two.
In 1999 the idea resurfaced and gained the support of the government. In 2002 agreement was reached with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to repatriate the remains of a New Zealander killed in the First World War. From that time, the Ministry, in co-operation with many government and non-government organisations, had the responsibility of leading the project to its culmination on 11 November 2004.
The remains of an unknown New Zealand serviceman were returned to the care of a New Zealand Defence Force contingent during an emotional handover ceremony at the New Zealand memorial site near the village of Longueval in France.
After a long journey home in a Royal New Zealand Air Force 757, the Unknown Warrior was welcomed by tangata whenua and Defence personnel when he arrived in Wellington on Wednesday 10 November 2004.
For twenty hours the casket containing the Unknown Warrior lay-in-state in Parliament, while thousands of people paid their respects. Veterans and families of those who served overseas travelled from around the country to take part in the ceremonies.
On the eleventh hour of Armistice Day, the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the casket was carried to the Wellington Cathedral of St Paul for a memorial service followed by a military procession through the streets of Wellington atop a gun carriage to the National War Memorial, the Warrior’s final resting place.
In a moving ceremony, the casket was lowered into the Tomb on the steps in front of the Hall of Memories. The French Ambassador to New Zealand placed soil from the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in the grave and the eight District Presidents of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association added soil and other natural materials from their regions.
Poppies, ferns, roses, photographs and tributes were dropped in and around the casket by dignitaries, veterans and members of the public, before the bronze mantle was lowered into place, sealing the Tomb and ending the Warrior’s journey.
The Unknown Warrior is one of over 250,000 New Zealanders who served in overseas wars. He is one of 30,000 who died in service and one of over 9,000 who have no known grave or whose remains could never be recovered.
The remains were chosen by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission from the First World War Caterpillar Valley Cemetery in the Somme region of France as this was an area where the greatest number of New Zealand regiments and battalions are known to have fought.
As the man’s name, rank, regiment, race, religion and other details are unknown, he represents and honours all New Zealanders who were lost to their families in war.
The Tomb was designed by New Zealand artist and sculptor Kingsley Baird. The Takaka marble crosses set into black granite that form the tomb’s base represent the Warrior’s comrades who died in service and remain overseas, and the stars in the night sky. Around the base of the Tomb is text of a karanga, in English and Maori, calling the Warrior back to his homeland. A cloak of bronze was laid over his body as a celestial mantle. It is decorated with four inlaid pounamu crosses, alluding to the Southern Cross constellation which guided him home and which forms part of the Warrior's national flag.
Since November 2004 we have had almost 40,000 visitors to the National War Memorial and the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, up from an annual total of 2,500 visitors previously. Many of these people appear to have come on a personal pilgrimage of remembrance, made evident by the number of tributes placed on the Tomb and the comments left in the visitors’ book.
The Ministry is now working on plans to develop the land adjacent to the National War Memorial into a memorial park to enhance the dignity of a visit to our national monument to New Zealanders who died for their country.
For more information on the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior and images of ceremonial events in New Zealand and France, visit www.nationalwarmemorial.govt.nz.
The work on the project to return the Unknown Warrior to New Zealand supports the Ministry’s Outcome 2, widespread access to and understanding of New Zealand culture and heritage.
