Passchendaele National Commemoration 12 Oct 17

The New Zealand National Service commemorating the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele was held among the 12,000 grave sites at Tyne Cot Cemetery in Flanders, Belgium, on Thursday, 12 October, 2017. The Duke of Cambridge attended the commemoration, as did Princess Astrid of Belgium. They were joined by the New Zealand Ambassador to Belgium Greg Andrews, the Speaker of the House David Carter and the Minister for the Environment Nick Smith, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Tim Keating, Willie Apiata VC, President of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association BJ Clarke and Belgian dignitaries. Many New Zealanders who had families who fought in the battle also made the journey to be there.