| Anzac-Day - Mesen - 25/04/2008 Please
find below some pictures of Anzac-Day at Mesen (Messines) on Friday, April, 25th,
2008. Hieronder een uitgebreid verslag van Anzac-Day te Mesen op vrijdag
25 april 2008. Optocht van de oudstrijders naar het gedenkteken
voor de militaire slachtoffers van Mesen 
A lot of people attended
the ceremonies at Messines. A bus took care of the transport of the visitors. 
Burgomaster Sandy Evrard
and the Ambassador of New Zealand and his wife at the front of the parade. 
At the right Patrick
Florissoone (secretary of the city of Messines), Luc Dehaene (burgomaster of Ieper)
and Peter Bos (Councillor, Hamilton City Council New Zealand). 
Laying the wreaths. 
Afterwards everybody
went to the New
Zealand Memorial. 
Arrival of the Ambassador. 
The New Zealand army
conquerred Messines on the Germans on June, 7th, 1917. 
Prayer by Rev Dr Glen. 
At the left: Mr. Johan
Beun, chairman of the Historic Museum of Messines. 
One minute of silence
after the prayer.  
 
 
Laying the wreaths at the memorial by the Ambassador 
burgomaster Sandy Evrard 
the military attaché 
Peter Bos and Luc Dehaene
and by Roland Mahieu (right) as Councillor of the city of Mesen 
by the Ambassador and
an exchange student.  
The Exhortation 
followed by the Last
Post  
The national anthem of
New Zealand by Mr. Warwick Mitchell and Mr. Don Currie, Auckland Choral Society.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Steven Reynaert of the city of Mesen gave a brief explanation on the events
that happened on June, 7th, 1917. 
A lament was played
by a buglar.  
 
 
 
Then a short reception took place at Messines. 
Allocations by
burgomaster Sandy Evrard who thanked the Embassy and its people for the always
very good collaboration. 
The Ambassador
thanked the people of Messines for keeping the remembrance alive. Afterwards,
Steven Reynaert read a letter of the mayor of Featherston, with which Messines
is twinned.  
Exchange of gifts. 
The children of
the school of Messines had studied the national anthem of New Zealand. 
Big applause. 
Smiling faces. 
The children had
a very good contact with the visitors from New Zealand. A few of them even got
a poppy!  
 
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Ook jij kunt foto's doorsturen
voor de rubriek "Je was er bij". Ons adres: info@westhoek.be Everyone
can send pictures for the pages "You were there". Our address: info@westhoek.be | 
