Brockenhurst villagers, councillors and churchgoers to attend Anzac service with Australian and New Zealand high commission representatives

VILLAGERS will join Australian and New Zealand dignitaries this weekend to honour First World War soldiers buried at Brockenhurst for Anzac Day.

On Sunday 27th April the Brockenhurst branch of the Royal British Legion, parish councillors and church members will hold their annual Anzac service from 3pm at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in St Nicholas’ Church ground.

Dignitaries from the New Zealand and Australian high commissions will also be attending, with the Royal British Legion providing refreshments for attendees in the nearby Tilebarn after the service.

The service commemorates the 94 First World War soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (Anzac) buried in the Brockenhurst churchyard.

They had served in Egypt and in the Gallipoli campaign before being deployed to France, where they took part in all the major battles of the 1916 to 1918 conflict on the Western Front, and the final advance to victory.

A spokesperson for the service said: “The servicemen buried in Brockenhurst are the sick and wounded from the Western Front who were treated in the No.1 New Zealand General Hospital located nearby, but who sadly did not survive.

“Their graves are in the care of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and are maintained by the parish council.”

The monument to them was erected in 1927.