New Zealand Defence Force
Te Ope Kaatua O Aotearoa

Media Release

5 June 2007

Ceremony in Belgium to Remember Messines

New Zealanders and the people of Belgium will come together at a memorial ceremony to mark the 90th anniversary of the Battle of Messines in Messines, Belgium on Thursday 7 June.

Around 200-250 people are expected to attend the ceremonies at Messines including the New Zealand Minister of State Services, the Hon. Annette King and the Governor of West Flanders, Mr Paul Breyne, New Zealand Defence Force personnel and many of the citizens of Mesen (Messines) and West Flanders.

Following the main ceremony at Messines Ridge Cemetery a plaque will be unveiled in memory of Lance Corporal Samuel Frickleton of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, who was awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery during the Battle.

The ceremony has been arranged by New Zealand Defence Force staff based in London and Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade staff in Brussels.

The Battle of Messines was launched on 7 June 1917 near the Belgian village of Mesen. The attack started with a series of massive explosions under the German trenches which killed about 10,000 German soldiers.

The Battle was one of the most successful on the Western Front. The New Zealanders captured the village of Messines, flanked on one side by the Australians and on the other by British and Irish troops.

Military Adviser Defence Staff London, Lieutenant Colonel John Boswell said, “The attack was an excellent example of what can be achieved with careful staff planning, an element of surprise and the effective use of artillery. However, over 3,000 New Zealanders were injured and 700 were killed.”

The town of Messines is also holding a number of other events around 7 June including an exhibition of New Zealand Victoria Cross winners and battlefield walks.

ENDS

Background: Lance Corporal Samuel Frickleton (1 April 1891-6 August 1971) was born in Scotland but immigrated to New Zealand to work as a coal miner on the West Coast. Enlisting in the 1NZEF, he served briefly in Gallipoli before being returned to New Zealand as medically unfit in November 1915. In the following April he re-enlisted, and was posted to the 3rd Battalion, 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade. At Messines on 7 June 1917 he rushed ahead into the artillery barrage, despite being slightly wounded, to destroy with hand grenades two enemy machine-gun posts that were inflicting heavy casualties. He was awarded a Victoria Cross for his actions.

Despite ill health, Samuel Frickleton lived to the age of 80. He died in 1971 and is buried at Taita Cemetery.

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