Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

Reserve Soldier Representing NZDF at Somme Centenary

9 September 2016

Reserve Soldier Representing NZDF at Somme Centenary

New Zealand Army Reserve Staff Sergeant (SSGT) Dave Warren has left his day job as a fishery officer for a few weeks to escort the colour of 3/6 Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (RNZIR) at the Battle of the Somme centenary commemorations in France.

SSGT Warren is the Company Sergeant Major (CSM) of the Battalion, based in Auckland, and he says he is honoured to be part of the NZDF contingent.

“The New Zealand Army is a distinctive family to belong to. The camaraderie and friendships formed over the years through the good times and the bad, and the experiences shared, are second to none,” he says.

SSGT Warren has been part of the Army for 30 years and says there have been many career highlights, including being deployed to the Solomon Islands in 2007.

“During that deployment I had the opportunity to visit Mono Island, where my maternal uncle was killed during the Second World War. I was able to visit the memorial on the island, which includes my uncle’s name, and that gave me a genuine connection,” he says.

There are a number of skills that are transferable between SSGT Warren’s Army job and his day job.

“Planning, decisive thinking, organisational skills, command and control, and critical incident management are just a few things which help me in my roles as a CSM and a fishery officer,” he says.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

The Battle of the Somme was New Zealand’s first major engagement on the Western Front. It took a huge toll on the 15,000 members of the New Zealand Division who were involved. The New Zealand Division sustained 8000 casualties and 2111 soldiers were killed in action between 1 July-18 November 1916. The New Zealand Memorial to the Missing in Caterpillar Valley Cemetery lists 1205 names.

• WW100 is a programme established by the New Zealand Government to mark the First World War centenary through a range of activities from 2014 to 2019, in New Zealand and overseas.

ends


© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.