More than 70 people attended the Healesville Remembrance Day service held be the Healesville RSL on Thursday 11 November.
Community member Bruce Argyle was guest speaker on the day and shared his family’s story on how WWI affected them as New Zealand residents.
Mr Argyle, the Chair of Healesville Community Bank, hails from New Zealand and has a family connection to the country’s efforts in the war.
His grandfather Hector Argyle had two older brothers, Len and Pat, who were 18 and 21 when they signed up with the Wellington Infantry Battalion and served in Egypt and at Gallipoli.
He spoke of the impact their deaths had on the family and said that the pain lives on in the memories of family members who carry their names and their values.
He spoke of the Chunuk Bair offensive at Gallipoli where over two days and nights of bitter fighting, New Zealand suffered nearly 2500 casualties, including his great uncles who were among over 800 dead.
Bruce concluded with a quote from a letter by Pat to his younger brothers back home in New Zealand.
The letter, sent from Gallipoli in Turkey and dated 14 July 1915, again put a human face on the ANZAC experience in WW1.
“Dear Hector and Leslie, I had a letter from each of you the other day and I was very glad to hear from you again.”
“I have had several letters from Doris (sister), but do not know if I can answer hers this mail. I hope she will not think I have forgotten her. Writing material is more precious than gold here now. We are quite unable to buy any.”
He writes briefly of the conditions, the cold, the wet, the flies and the “poor dead men” lying between the trenches with neither side being able to fetch in their dead”. He finishes with “I must not shock you, so will not say any more now.” The letter is signed “Your loving brother, Pat.”
