![A guard of honour at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior during the 2017 Passchendaele centenary commemorations. Credit: Photograph courtesy of the New Zealand Defence Force.]()
A guard of honour at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior during the 2017 Passchendaele centenary commemorations. Credit: Photograph courtesy of the New Zealand Defence Force.
This page is to commemorate those New Zealanders who did not make the journey home after serving their country overseas. It also serves as a focus of remembrance for the sacrifice made by all New Zealand servicemen and women in times of war.
It was created in collaboration with the Manatū Taonga – Ministry for Culture and Heritage and represents a digital manifestation of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior that stands at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington’.
Please feel free to lay a poppy or leave a message of remembrance. You can also add notes into individual records of those personnel who served Aotearoa New Zealand in time of conflict by searching Online Cenotaph.
Te mamae nei a te pōuri nui
Tēnei ra e te tau
Aue hoki mai ra ki te kainga tūturu
E tatari atu nei ki a kou tou
Ngā tau roa
I ngaro atu ai te aroha
E ngau kino nei I ahau aue taukuri e
The great pain we feel
Is for you who were our future
Come back return home,
We have waited for you
Through the long years
You were away. Sorrow
Aches within me.
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Hey for those people that lost there lives fighting for our contry and famliy protecting there soilders and family may let them rest in peace <pray>[thanks for protecting our contry and family thank you god and love yous all for who that past
Public - Kruze - Child - 25 July 2024
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I hope the soldiers have a good time in heaven. Good job 👍👍
Public - Beatrice - Husband - 27 March 2024
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I am EmJ, I am 13 and learned a lot about ANZAC over my school years. I learned about the sacrifices they had all made for everyone. Though I don't know just yet about my relation to an unknown soldier I hope in future I can find out their name and the memorable act they helped in the wars.
Public - EmJ - 27 March 2024
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Peace be with you.
Public - John - 24 December 2023
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thank you for contributing to this country and making us proud.
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1
WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1 WE LOVE YOU!!!!!!
WE LOVE YOU !!!!!1
Public - johnny - Direct descendant - 7 May 2023
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You gave your life so others could live in freedom. Gone but never forgotten.
Public - Shaun - 3 May 2023
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Thank you to all who fought in the wars, its crazy to think how many people died during this and fought for our country.
Public - Victoria - Other relative - 26 April 2023
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I wish people who have sacrifised their life for us to live a happy life. I wish them rest in peace in heaven they have done something really important for our country
Public - mallory - Other relative - 24 April 2023
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dear Alec,
you were amazing in waR
I LOVE YOU SO SO SO SO SO
MUCH . I wall never forget annabelle , lucinda, oliver your grand daughter
i'm claudia, sophia ,my cazin Malle , Lanie,clemetine,Alelexandra
LOVE CLAUDIA
Public - Claudia - 8 December 2022
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Least We Forget. We Will Remember Them.
Public - Erin Elizabeth - Self - 27 April 2022
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Lest we forget.
Remembering Uncle Tom and others like him.
Rest In Peace
Public - Nichole - Other relative - 23 April 2022
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To the Unknown Warrior, to the brave men and women who served our country so nobely, and courageously, I thank you for your sacrifice.
Public - Julie - 23 April 2022
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um hi koro its me nami ur grandaughter im just typing here from auckland museum today on the 23rd febuary 2022 & the time is 12:12 pm im just typing on here to communicate with u & grandmother wondering how u are its been like what four years since u & nana passed away in our dicksons family the famiy arent holding up fine since u guys have been gone everyone has seperated or just doesnt keep in touch anymore not to be rude but i kinda like it that way not havig to be involved with family drama or being called a thief when something goes missing & im always the one who gets the blame but u no what the best thing about people thinking its me when its not u & grandmother no who the actual culprit is i miss grandmother so much i still try to celebrate xmas its hard for me & mother but we enjoy participating hanging up the lights & the tree so whenever xmas does come around it actually feels
Public - nami - 23 February 2022
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Thank you to all the service people who never returned home, many were my father’s(Roland John Robert Knap) comrades. “Thank you” seems such an insufficient term to use considering you literally lay down your life for your Country. I hope noone EVER has to go through what you or your comrades did again. Eternal thanks
Vivien Knap
Public - Vivien Dorothy - 21 August 2021
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Takoto koe i roto i ngaa ringaringa a too taaua whaea.
Rewaina atu ai i roto i te puna o te aroha mtutunga kore.
Public - Te Ariki - Comrade - 18 July 2021
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Rest in Peace. King
Public - Nicho - 21 June 2021
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Thank you for your service. Lest we forget.
Much respect, the son of a Malaysian Army veteran 🇳🇿🇲🇾
Public - Irwan - 26 April 2021
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Remebering my father James Henry Turner RNZN No13959, who served on HMNZS Black Prince, Hawea, and Rotoiti during Operation Grapple.
Public - MaryBrigid - 25 April 2021
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Thank you for your service to New Zealand - may we never forget your sacrifice.
Public - Fiona - 24 April 2021
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Hi my name is Ani and i am a grandchilid of Thomas shortcliffe even doe i didnt get to meet you i just wont you to no i love and miss you i hope i can meet you in heaven one day xox Ani my dad has told me alot about you i loved everyting about you miss and love you
love Ani
Public - ani - 13 March 2021
The Unknown Warrior
The Unknown Warrior died in France sometime between April 1916 and November 1918. We do not know the circumstances of his death; we only know that there was something that signified he was a New Zealander. He was buried at the Caterpillar Valley Cemetery on the Somme in northern France, a simple headstone read ‘A New Zealand soldier of the Great War known unto God.’
He returned home to New Zealand on the 10th November 2004, on his arrival he was accorded a full military honour by the New Zealand Defence Force, before arriving at Parliament and Lying in State. A memorial service was held on Armistice Day, as his religion is unknown, representatives of multiple faiths offered prayers and together they offered the closing blessing. At the conclusion of the service, the unknown warrior was carried through the streets of Wellington to his final resting place at the National War Memorial. He was placed in a specially designed tomb, shrouded in meaning; crosses represent the Warriors companions who died in service for their country who remain overseas, but are also symbolic of a star-laden sky, signifying the distance he has travelled. A karanga around the base of the tomb welcomes the warrior home.
Additional Information
Kingsley Baird the artist chosen for the design of the Unknown Warrior's tomb, he has written on the rhetoric of national identity and the Legacy of the Unknown Warrior for the Bulletin of the Auckland Museum.
'The Past We Harvest That Was Yours': The Rhetoric of National Identity and the Legacy of the Unknown Warrior in New Zealand Memory. Kingsley Baird, Bulletin of the Auckland Museum, Volume 21 | 2020
- Last updated on: 9 Apr 2021 | File Size: 2 MB
Gareth Phipps, 'Bringing Our Boy Home' Journal of New Zealand Studies, no. 10.
Gareth Phipps, 'Bringing Our Boy Home: The Tomb of the Unknown Warrior, its visitors, and contemporary war remembrance in New Zealand' Masters Thesis, Victoria University.