Woodville honours animals' sacrifice on Purple Poppy Day

The assembled crowd hear from Vicky about Kuno in Afghanistan.

Far from the theatre of war but brought to prominence by events in Ukraine a small group of Woodville residents and a class of senior Woodville School student volunteers met to commemorate Purple Poppy Day in Fountaine Square on Thursday, February 24.

This is the second such commemoration in Woodville since the sacrifice of animals in the war was first recognised in 2018.

Woodville RSA Chairman Ian Dailey also lays a bouquet.

This started when the War Animal Memorial was unveiled at the National Army Museum in Waiouru and since then February 24 has been designated Purple Poppy Day in New Zealand when we remember and honour all the animals that have served and been killed in war.

After a welcome by Woodville Vision chairwoman Vicky Tomlinson, they heard from Rev Rosie McMillan about the horses taken from their farms to serve as cavalry mounts, the donkeys, asses, camels and elephants taken as beasts of burden, the many pigeons used as messengers and signals for help and the dogs that served as guards, guides, mine detectors and rescuers.

Vicky then highlighted the heroism of a more recent event in Afghanistan of Kuno the Alsatian that raced through a hail of bullets to attack a sniper who had a group of British troops pinned down. It got his man but lost both back legs in the process and received the Blue Cross for his bravery along with two new prosthetic legs.

Vicky added a new category of victims to Rev Rosie's list – goldfish! These were used to test if World War I gasmasks were safe to use by plunging them into a bucket of water containing a goldfish. If it lived the gasmask was okay.

Then followed the laying of a wreath and floral tribute – firstly by Kathy Collins and her borrowed dog Trixie, then by Woodville RSA chairman Ian Dailey and finally by Woodville School students Dominique Bloor and Carlos Kimura.

After the singing of the National Anthem the Ode was read by the two students, Ian Dailey lowered and raised the flag during the Last Post and Reveille and the ceremony came to a close after a blessing.

In the blessing were the words "To Love unconditionally, to serve unquestionably…. They were the animals."