April 24th 2020,

St. George’s Anglican Church Gate Pa, Tauranga.

Vicar’s Blog:

Well done everyone. We have mostly survived over four weeks of lockdown, and

for over 70’s, five weeks of lockdown. This has become our new normal for better

or for worse. We have at least two more weeks to go, maybe more. From my

conversations with people we seem to be doing well staying in our bubbles, staying

safe, and staying in contact with each other and making sure we are supporting all

those who see us in some way as home. Well done. The prospect of gong to level 3 raises issues around when the parish office can

reopen, when we might be able to regather in some way for services in St. Georges,

and when Centrepoint can open.

At our weekly bishop and clergy zoom meeting this week Bishop Andrew walked

us through the guidelines the bishops have been working on, based on the work of

the Diocese of Auckland. This resource lays out when things can start to reopen,

and helpfully raises some of the issues we will need to address when we do reopen

and restart.

Vestry spent our weekly zoom meeting on Wednesday going through this resource.

It is clear that until we reach level two everything will stay much as it is, except flat

whites and takeaways will again be available – something my girls and many others

are very grateful for. When we do reopen, we will need to ensure social distancing

rules are maintained, and that registers of attendance are kept for any gatherings for

contact tracing purposes. We will still be living in our new normal world. Until then

we will continue to offer online services and will explore online options for those

still required to stay at home.

Our new normal means that some significant national and city events have been

cancelled this year. So we have to find new others of marking them.

I hope you will be able to join me commemorating Anzac Day on Saturday 25th.

There will be a national service broadcast on radio and television. And I will be

saying prayers for ANZAC Day on Facebook live at 6.00 am. Anzac Day is a

chance for us to pause and remember all those who have fought and died for the

British Empire here and overseas, and those who fought and died for this country.

Some went voluntarily. Some did not. Many did not come home, and most who did

were not the same as when they left. We pause to remember the huge cost to this

land of our participation in conflicts since the Anglo-Boer War through to today.

We pray for and long for a world without war where God’s justice reigns supreme.

On Wednesday we will in some way remember the New Zealand Land Wars, and in

particular all those who fought here at the Battle of Gate Pa. As we do that, I invite

you at some point to recall the huge cost to the people of Tauranga Moana of these

battles. Join me in praying that God’s justice is lived out in our city, and we can

find ways to bring healing to ongoing pain.

On Sunday we hear the story of two disciples on their way home to resume life in

the grey hopelessness. On the way they meet a stranger who seems ignorant of their

pain and the events that causes that pain. In hearing their story of pain retold in the

whole story of scripture, in the offering of hospitality, and in the breaking of bread

they recognise the resurrected one. Hope is reborn. In the shadow of lockdown,

ANZAC Day and Gate Pa Day, we are invited into this story. In what ways does

Christ the stranger meet us in our own stories of pain and loss, and walk with us to

hope?

Be kind to yourself and others. Stay safe. Stay calm. Wash your hands.

Both my fathers’ father (and his two brothers) and my mother’s grandfather fought in WWI. My grandfather and one brother came home. That is a 50% death rate for my family. My great grandfather, Captain Percy William Skelley, died of his wounds in June 1918, so close to the end of the war. He is buried in the Bagneux British Cemetery, Gezaincourt. My mother never knew him, but she has talked about the devastation his death caused his family at home, particularly on her mother. She grieved the loss of her father for the rest of her

life. While they took solace in his courage and sense of duty to the empire, they would have much preferred he came home. His wife was left with four little girls to bring up, which was no

mean feat in those days. Let us remember those left behind, and the stories of loss and despair. One of the bells in the National War Memorial Carillon, the Gaizencourt bell, is dedicated to him. The online description1 of this bell reads as follows

“The ‘Gaizencourt’ bell is dedicated to the memory of Percy Skelley, an experienced staff officer who gave up his position at army headquarters to fight on the front line. A Wellingtonian born and bred, Skelley spent most of his life in the capital. He worked for many years as a public servant with the Land and Income Tax Department before joining the New Zealand Staff Corps – part of New Zealand’s new permanent forces – in 1911. When war broke out, Skelley, now a captain, became assistant

adjutant-general at army headquarters in Wellington. With his background, Skelley was a valuable military administrator – but he wanted to see action. Likely to be prevented from enlisting because of the difficulty of replacing someone with his skills, Skelley resigned from the Staff Corps and in November 1916 enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. By March 1917 Skelley was in England. He spent several months as an administrative staff officer at Sling Camp (where New Zealand soldiers had advanced training before heading to the front) before he finally made it to the Western Front. He joined the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade a few weeks after Passchendaele and in April 1918 was appointed brigade-major of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade. On the morning of 31 May 1918, the brigade’s headquarters were shelled by the enemy. Hit in the abdomen, 43-year-old Skelley was taken to a nearby casualty clearing station but died nine days later. After the war Skelley received a posthumous New Year’s Honours mention in despatches, an award sometimes given to recognise valuable service by men unlikely to carry out courageous acts on the front line. Back in New Zealand his wife of 18 years, Agnes, was left to bring up their four daughters, the youngest of whom was then three years old. In 1926, Agnes along with Skelley’s younger brother Claude gave one of the Carillon bells in his memory. It was named for the village of Gézaincourt in northern France, not far from Bagneux British Cemetery where Skelley is buried.

1 https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/bells-of-remembrance/gaizencourt

Lieutenant Colonel Cliff Simons- joined the NZ Army in 1981, still serving.

Roy Simons (Cliff's father) was a soldier in WW2. He is shown here (on the right) enjoying watermelon with his friends in their dugout in Egypt. Roy was a train driver. He received a bravery award for his actions when the supply train he was driving was attacked by German planes and set alight. It was carrying fuel and ammunition and he was able to separate the burning carriages from the rest and save most of them

David’s father – George, WWI Gulie Dowrick

Donald Hector Price - SERVICE NUMBER

49316 AWMM – WWII – father of Patricia

8th Brigade sent to Fiji in November

1940.

2nd NZEF - 21st Battalion Military unit –

1942 (wounded at Monte Cassino –

carried shrapnel in his neck for the rest of

his life)

Carried & played his Pipes throughout the

war.

Alfred Price (sitting) - WWI 12/2088

AWMM

WWI, 1914-1918 Grandfather. He is listed as Auckland Cycle Corp’s, but he immigrated from

Wrexham, England in 1919 so we have no idea how this is. He did visit NZ & Australia during the war on a troop ship.

Cards made in silk & ribbons/embroidery from WWI sent from France to my Nana Price.

Private Ernest Underwood 12/652

My Grandfather, Ernie Underwood emigrated from Essex to New Zealand in 1913. He was encouraged to leave England by his Uncle William, who had been long settled here. William was gardener and gamekeeper for Captain Colbeck on his property near Paparoa.

However, soon troubles were building abroad and, when WW1 was declared, Ernie and two cousins enlisted with the 15th Auckland Infantry in August 1914. The three had service numbers 650, 651, 652.

In October they joined a convoy of ships carrying 8454 men and 3818 horses, bound for training in England. They were en route when the Turks joined forces with Germany, and the fleet was diverted to Alexandria to cover a perceived threat to British control of the Suez Canal. Training took place in the desert North of Cairo.

On the fateful day of April 25th 1915, Ernie and his cousins were among the leading troops to land at Ari Burnu, Gallipoli. They survived the landing carnage, but Ernie was wounded in the thigh four days later and evacuated for treatment. Returning to the battlefront mid-year, he was struck down again on September 1st. He rejoined the unit at Gallipoli until the final evacuation back to Egypt in late December.

In April 1916, Ernie and the uninjured cousin rejoined a rebuilt Auckland Infantry at Armentieres and were soon directed South to fight on the Somme, where both were badly injured. Percy was to die from his major facial wound. Ernie survived and was to carry shrapnel from his injury in his chest for the rest of his life.

What a price is paid in war. By the end of 1916, my Great Uncle William had one son dead, one invalided back to NZ, two fighting in France, twenty nephews in the Army (NZ and English forces), two in the Navy and his youngest brother a sergeant in the British Royal Engineers.

My Grandfather did not talk of the War. He had one or two French phrases, such as "Apres la Guerre" and he declared himself "No bloody hero" - but in my mind, he was!.

In Flanders Fields BY JOHN MCCRAE

In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

That mark our place; and in the sky

The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

The torch; be yours to hold it high.

If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

In Flanders fields.

Archdeacon Gordon Alexander Butt (Peter) R.N.Z.A.F. fighter pilot. WWII England.

While Peter was serving in England the BBC offered to let pilots speak to their families by radio on Christmas Day. Hence this photo! When Peter saw it again he referred to it as “Hello Mum’, which is how they mostly began their precious few minutes on air.

Shirley May

Two military items that belonged to my father who served in the Middle East in the 2nd NZ Expeditionary Force in the Second World War. The first item is from World War One. It is a Christmas present sent out to the troops by Princess Mary, Christmas 1914 they usually contained soap and cigarettes. The compass is German from the WW2.

A German soldier swapped it for a packet of cigarettes from my father, they met in the desert during a lull in the fighting.

Faye

Together in Prayer on Sunday. At 9.30 on Sunday mornings we will use the service starting at p.476 in the prayer book. This can be found at https://anglicanprayerbook.nz/476e. Or you can email Patricia for the Service Booklet sent out this week. Again, you are invited to join with me in your own home praying the service and reading the lessons together. I will provide some notes for the sermon each week.

We will also try livestreaming the Sunday service from John’s house. We will be using our Facebook page. Go to https://www.facebook.com/GatePaAnglican/. And hopefully you will see us, and you can join us in the service.

Tauranga Community Foodbank are accepting donations online: https://taurangafoodbank.co.nz/

Vicar Rev’d John Hebenton 021 679202

Email: john.hebenton@waiapu.com

Parish Office Patricia Price 578 7916/021 0292 1498

(Office hours – online via email or phone)

Vicar’s Warden Clark Houltram 543 2366

People’s Warden Faye Mayo 543 3369

Parish email admin.gatepa@waiapu.com

Parish Website www.stgeorgesgatepa.com

Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/GatePaAnglicanVicars blog

http://colourfuldreamer.blogspot.co.nz/