NEW ZEALAND MEMORIAL LONG VERSION

At the end of the First World War the New Zealand Government insisted that New Zealand soldiers be commemorated on each battle site and unlike the other Dominions did not include the names of New Zealand Division soldiers on imperial memorials such as the Menin Gate at Ypres or on the Thiepval Memorial on the Somme; instead separate memorials were established.

This is footage from a Pathe Gazette newsreel of the unveiling of the New Zealand memorial at Messines Ridge on 1 August 1924. It was most probably filmed by either Harry Sanders or Tommy Scales who both worked for Pathe, and had earlier worked as NZEF cameramen.

King Albert of Belgium is accompanied by Sir James Allen, New Zealand High Commissioner in London and General Sir Andrew Russell in the official parties.

Similar ceremonies took place at Longueval on the Somme; at Le Quesnoy; at Gravenstafel and Polygon Wood in Belgium and on Chunuk Bair in Turkey.