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1314 days ago

Anzac Day: War letters to home

Caryn Wilkinson Reporter from Community News

This Sunday marks the 106-year anniversary of the first landing of New Zealand and Australian soldiers at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

For many of the 16000 soldiers, April 25, 1915 marked their first day of combat.

And by that night, 2000 had been killed or maimed.

We remember our Auckland veterans and fallen soldiers with their letters to friends and loved ones back home.


Captain Ernest Hugh Densem of the New Zealand Army Medical Corps 2nd New Zealand Expedition wrote this letter to daughter Mary McNair, who lives in New Lynn:

Medical Headquarters
Trentham
10.6.45

Dear Mary,

Daddy received your letter. You remember you told me about John going to Sunday School all by himself with Mr Hawkey.

I’m glad you liked the bonfire.

There was a very good drawing of it in one of your other letters that wasn’t there.

We had some funny bonfires here one night.

There were a lot of flowers and the soldiers shot flames out of their guns like this:

Mummy says you sleep in a different room now.

Where does Auntie Eva sleep?

Daddy.

More messages from your neighbours
5 hours ago

Calling All Puzzle Masters! Can You Solve This?

Riddler from The Neighbourly Riddler

When John was six years old he hammered a nail into his favorite tree to mark his height.
Ten years later at age sixteen, John returned to see how much higher the nail was.
If the tree grew by five centimetres each year, how much higher would the nail be?

Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.

Want to stop seeing riddles in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.

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5 hours ago

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15 days ago

What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?

Mei Leng Wong Reporter from NZ Gardener & Get Growing

Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.

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