Prince William given traditional Maori greeting in Belgium as he pays a moving tribute to Kiwi soldiers who died at WW1’s Battle of Passchendaele
The Duke, who represented the Queen at the event in Belgium, delivered his speech at Tyne Cot cemetery, near the town of Ypres in Flanders
PRINCE William was given a traditional Maori greeting as he paid a heartfelt tribute to the bravery of New Zealand troops who fought and died in the First World War.
Speaking at a centenary service commemorating the actions, valour and commitment of the Kiwis at the Battle of Passchendaele, the Duke of Cambridge urged the current generation to remember their loss.
The Duke, who represented the Queen at the event in Belgium, was joined by the country’s Princess Astrid and delivered his speech at Tyne Cot cemetery, near the town of Ypres in Flanders.
He was given the traditional greeting by Bill Henry “Willie” Apiata, a former corporal in the New Zealand Special Air Service and a Victoria Cross recipient.
October 12 1917 has become known as the darkest day of the war for the New Zealand Division, which suffered heavy loses when they were ordered to take an area called Bellevue Spur but were bogged down in shell holes under enemy fire.
On that day, more than 840 Kiwis were killed fighting in a foreign land far from home – part of a huge toll of dead and injured both sides suffered that summer.
The Duke said: “All too often the newsreels speak of ‘ordinary’ men and women. There was nothing ordinary about their service or their sacrifice.
“As we have heard, October 12th 1917 was the ‘darkest day’ in the military history of a proud and committed people.
“For New Zealanders, the loss of more than 840 men in just a few hours is seared into the national consciousness.
“All told, the Battle of Passchendaele would claim close to two thousand lives – a devastating toll for a country with a population of just over a million.”
He added: “Half a world away, news of the losses was felt like a shockwave. Every death here left a shattered family there.
“Entire communities were robbed of their young people. No part of New Zealand was untouched by loss.”
David Carter, speaker of the New Zealand House of Representatives, earlier told how Kiwi soldiers described devastating scenes amidst a “porridge of mud” and “a place that stamps itself on one’s mind and memory – like a red iron”.
William went on to say: “The fight in these fields was of a magnitude and ferocity that is difficult for us, today, to fully comprehend. But while we may never truly understand, we can remember.”
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