Young people pay respects to soldiers

The enthusiasm of younger generations to pay their respects to the men and women who served in the world wars bolstered the spirits of returned servicemen Allan Fisher, Frank Lindsay and Aubrey Nolan on Saturday.

The trio of World War 2 servicemen represent the combined forces; Mr Fisher served in the Royal New Zealand Navy, Mr Lindsay, the Royal New Zealand Army Corps and Mr Nolan served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

Having fought in North Africa and then through Italy, Mr Lindsay said he "never had too bad a time" but the worst fighting was around Monte Cassino.

However, it was Tunisia, before that, where he and his comrades were the most uncomfortable.

"German shelling was very heavy and we just about got eaten alive by mosquitoes," Mr Lindsay said.

"Those mosquitoes were just about as bad as the shells."

Conditions were "pretty rough" but he paid tribute to the support personnel - the cooks in particular - who kept the army fed.

"They did a marvellous job getting meals to us in very hard conditions," he said.

Mr Fisher spent most of his training travelling between Auckland and Dunedin before heading overseas as a Navy signalman.

He was taken through the Panama Canal, and up the American coast to New York where his ship formed part of one of the largest Atlantic convoys of World War 2.

"There were 126 ships went from New York to the United Kingdom," he said.

After arriving in Liverpool, he was drafted on to a communications ship converted from an Indian ferry boat off the shore of Burma.

"We were there until we ran out of coal and then we had to return to Calcutta," he said.

Having sailed half the world, it was his return through the Australian Bite on an aircraft carrier during which he remembers "getting tossed about a bit - but we got home safely".

Mr Nolan was in the air force for three years as part of the ground staff.

"It took an awful lot of people on the ground to keep a pilot in the air," he said.

He met Field Marshall Montgomery, who had "a huge amount of admiration for the New Zealand air force".

"It was after hostilities were over and he visited," Mr Nolan said.

The retired Balclutha businessman said he was concerned at the conflicts still happening in the world.

"The world is in a bit of a mess ... Israel and Palestine - there's a conflict which has got to have an ending at some time," he said.

"But were there's human beings there will always be conflicts."

All three men expressed admiration and gratitude for the people who were increasingly turning out to Anzac Day services.

"Over the last seven or eight years it has grown - it is fantastic," Mr Fisher said.

"The kids - I think perhaps the schools may have something to do with it, or the parents."