JANUARY NEWSLETTER
Office Hours: Monday and Friday (except Public Holidays) 1pm - 3pm
Club Night: Wednesday from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at Bowls Palmerston North Club Rooms Lounge, Linton Street.
PNRSA TRUST
We will reopen on Tuesday 10 February at our normal office hours.
9am - 11am Tuesdays at the Senior Citizens Lounge opposite the Globe Theatre,
Main Street, Palmerston North
~ Mike O’Connor 358 9983 ~ Albie Armstrong 358 6881 ~ Trevor Gillbanks 0221052316
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~ Presidents Message ~
Greetings Everyone
Welcome to 2026 and the first month of the year is almost finished already!.
This is the time of the year when our weather patterns have tended to be unstable and that certainly has been the case recently. Our condolences and sympathies go out to the relatives of the victims of the Mount Maunganui tragedy and to those who have had to evacuate their homes and who have lost much. Also, we are grateful for those involved with the rescue and subsequent recovery operations in an area where there is still some danger.
A few of our members have had some medical issues lately. Diane Ayers has had her hip operation as has Merlyn Drew. Joe Hollander has commenced his radiotherapy and Don Stewart had an urgent neurosurgical operation and is waiting a follow up assessment but doing well. Alan Cull was in hospital after a fall and head injury and is now in residential care but also quite comfortable. Murray Batten is still awaiting further neurosurgical treatment. Gosh! For a small club that seems to be a significant number. We wish you all the best for your recovery and further treatment.
As you will note, February 7 will be 100 years since the Palmerston North cenotaph was erected in 1926. The figure that sits atop the memorial was based on a similar one in Folkstone, England. While this will be commemorated on Anzac Day, there will also be a small commemoration on Saturday 7 February at 1700 hrs at the cenotaph.
We are finalising our new constitution in preparation for lodging with the Companies Office by April 5.
This will also have to be ratified by a Special General Meeting, but rather than hold a special AGM, we are proposing to hold this in conjunction with one of our Wednesday Evening meetings – hopefully it won’t be too disruptive, so more to follow.
There are ongoing delays in the distribution of membership cards from the National Office. The primary reason for this setback is that the card printer at National Office is currently out of service. Although repairs are anticipated to be completed within the next few days, a considerable backlog of cards has accumulated and is waiting to be printed.
That’s about it for now – but don’t forget Cooks’ Night Off at Chinatown on 18 February in commemoration of Chinese New Year on 17 February.
Peter
PS My New Year revolution is …
never to use autocorrect again.
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PNCC MILITARY HERITAGE/HISTORY, ANNIVERSARY AND COMMEMORATION PROGRAMME FOR 2026
This programme follows on from the approved and successful previous activity listings. It includes the military history presentations known as the “Evening Public Lecture Presentations” (EPLP) and the “Monthly Midday Military History Presentations” (MMMHP) series. There are also “Major City Events” as shown below and other related NZDF and military historical anniversaries, activities, and events. Rather than a five-year rolling programme, PNDHAG members decided in 2025 to follow the annual “RNZRSA Remembrance Calendar” and significant military commemorations and historical anniversaries. Separate invitations will follow and confirm dates, timings, and venues, together with any associated booking, RSVP and/or health and safety requirements.
2026 Programme:
6 Feb – (Fri) Waitangi Day
7 Feb – (Sat) Commemoration of the Centenary of the Unveiling of the PN Cenotaph/War Memorial in Te Marae o Hine/The Square
12 Feb – (Thu - MMMHP) “80th Anniversary of RNZAF Receiving its First Jet – a Gloster Meteor (11 Feb 1946)”, by SQNLDR Barry Nelson, RNZAF
13-15 Feb – “Crises, Characters & Controversies in NZ Military History” Conference at Massey University Campus, Wellington
24 Feb – (Tue) Purple Poppy Day – Honours and remembers the animals that have served during wars and conflicts
1 Mar – (Sun) Explore Esplanade Day
9 Mar – 12 Apr – PNCC Heritage Month in Palmerston North
12 Mar – (Thu - MMMHP) “21st Anniversary of the NZDF Response to the Indian Ocean Tsunami Disaster in Banda Ache in Jan 2005”, by MAJ Andrew Brooks, RNZAMC
13-15 Mar – NZ Rural Games in Te Marae o Hine/The Square
19-21 Mar – Central Districts Field Days (Feilding)
24 Mar – (Tue – EPLP) “35th Anniversary of the RNZAF Deployment to the First Gulf War in 1991”, by Dr Nina Harding, Massey University
25 Mar – (Wed) NZ Army Day (Established 1845)
1 Apr – (Wed) RNZAF Day (Established 1937)
9 Apr – (Thu - MMMHP) “80th Anniversary of “J Force” in Japan”, by Dr David Littlewood, Massey University
17 Apr – (Fri) Poppy Day in NZ
21 Apr – (Tue – EPLP) “110th Anniversary of the First ANZAC Day Service in NZ”, by LTGEN (Rtd) Rhys Jones, CNZM, former Chief of the NZDF and current Chair of the RNZRSA Board
25 Apr – (Sat) ANZAC Day (Dawn and Civic) Parades and Services in Te Marae o Hine/The Square and elsewhere in Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe, Linton Camp and the Māori Battalion Hall (also incorporating Centenary Commemoration of the Unveiling of the PN Cenotaph/War Memorial in Te Marae o Hine/The Square)
NOTE FROM THE EDITOR OF RSA NEWSLETTER: I have only published the first 3 months, the rest will follow throughout the year.
Other notable anniversaries in 2026:
180th anniversary of the Wellington Campaign in 1846
160th anniversary of the British Campaign in Taranaki in 1866
110th anniversary of the formation of the NZ Division (1 Mar 1916) in Armentieres and the Battle of the Somme
110th anniversary loss of NZ Engineer Tunneling Company operations on the Western Front
110th anniversary of the ANZAC Mounted Rifle Brigade in action (Battle of Romani – 3 Aug 1916) with the ANZAC Mounted Division in the Sinai-Palestine Campaign
110th anniversary of the first ANZAC Day service in NZ (1st meeting of Provisional Executive)
110th anniversary of HMNZS New Zealand taking part in the Battle of Jutland
110th anniversary the Battle of Flers-Courcelette: NZ’s first day on the Somme
85th anniversary of NZ troops engaged in Greece, during WW2
80th anniversary of the disbandment of 2NZEF and HQ, 2 (NZ) Div in Jan 1946
80th anniversary of the return of the 28th Maori Battalion to NZ
80th anniversary of NZ involvement in “J Force”, during WW2
80th anniversary of Sir B. C. Freyberg becoming the Governor-General of NZ
MMMHP sessions are normally held at midday on the second Thu in each month, Feb through Nov 26. EPLP sessions are being held on Tue evenings in Mar, Apr, Sep, Oct and Nov 2026. All presentations will be held in the PN City Library Mezzanine Floor (unless advised otherwise). Other military history presentations by visiting historians and book launches/releases are also programmed throughout each year and will be advised separately. Event invite posters will confirm all timings and venues for these activities.
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COMING UP IN FEBRUARY @ 4.30pm Wednesday Evenings
4 February Yap Yap 11 February Yap Yap
18 February Chinatown 25 February Members Draw