Red sunrise heralds Anzac dawn service in Dannevirke

A red sunrise heralded the end of the Dawn ANZAC Ceremony in Dannevirke.

Rugged up against the anticipated cold of dawn, a crowd of more than 400 assembled at the Dannevirke Cenotaph on Anzac Day.

The morning was very calm which allowed songs like In Flanders Field and Goin’ Home by eight Viking Choir members to waft through the air, setting the atmosphere as a prelude to official proceedings.

A large crowd in excess of 400 enjoyed the mild temperatures and message.

MC Major Richard Short, in opening the ceremony, drew attention to the centenary of the Cenotaph opened exactly to the day 100 years ago, before inviting Rev Ron Ashford to deliver a reading about war and truth.

After the singing of Abide With Me, backed by the Dannevirke Brass Band and the lament The Rowan Tree by piper Graeme Evans, Sergeant Fergusson of the 1St Battalion RNZIR spoke of the personal losses for those left at home.

He described the loss to the Brosnahan family of their son killed when his Lancaster bomber was shot down and the subsequent loss of his dad through grief.

As the usual procedures of Oati, Ode, Last Post, Minute’s Silence and Reveille were performed, the sun made its appearance - creating a wonderful red sky backgrounding the white crosses which reminded the crowd about those 220 soldiers lost in World War I.

Three generations of the Larsen family at the Dannevirke Services and Citizen’s Club for breakfast. From left Peta, Robin (93) and Steph. Robin has attended close to 50 Dawn Services.

Comforted, a fair proportion of attendees made their way to the Dannevirke Soldiers and Citizen’s Club for breakfast.

Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist based in Dannevirke. For the past 11 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district.