The Battle of Passchendaele 1917 - 106th Anniversary

A reduced RNZA Band of our Musical Director WO1 Steven Booth and 17 players supported the 106th Anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele, held on Sunday 15 October 2023, in the World War 1 Hall of Memories at Auckland Museum.

The event provided a poignant reminder of the 5,000 New Zealanders who lost their lives in Flanders. Bob Davis, the President and Honorary Secretary of The Passchendaele Society (as well as the RNZA Band’s Secretary & Events Manager) acted as MC of the Ceremony

Background music was provided during the laying of wreaths and poppies, and the delicate tune Nimrod, composed by Sir Edward Elgar, was performed as a feature item. Sgt Bill Rimmer sounded Last Post and Reveille, a service he has so ably provided on so many occasions. The national anthems of Aotearoa New Zealand and Belgium were further reminders of the international connections indelibly forged between our small part of the World and so many distant lands where New Zealanders have served and continue to do so.