At 6am this morning the sky over the sea is streaked Anzac Day red. It is so still and a rooster really does crow. I hear the radio chime the six solemn notes and the last post as I stand on my own looking out over the shelter treetops.  

My wreath is not what you’d expect. The leaves are not uniform and shiny green. There is no regular circle of red.  Yesterday I’m thinking about that final crew of Z1596 and what might have been their New Zealand or country life as I pick the brown dried fronds from the fallen Punga and the fern growing underneath it; the indestructible fallen leaves of the Cabbage Tree in the back garden. As I cut the slim spike of Kahikatea, the jagged leaves and pointy seeds of the Rewarewa, pieces of Corokia and familiar bush and trees I know but cannot name.   As I slice the tiny bright orange berries under the shiny green of the lowly Coprosma. As I pick Puha and paddock weeds and a long strand of the blackberried barberry from the hedge.

I cut the Magnolia where it reaches into the driveway and find one of last year’s Hydrangea heads, almost translucent now. Branches from the Airforce blue conifer. A small twig from one of the cherry trees fuzzy with pale green lichen; a still gleaming chestnut. Three orange red Astralomeria. Rosemary and Olive from the paddocks. And one of the improbable pale pink blossoms the dying Cherry tree is displaying.

I flax tie three of the dry brown circles of wisteria I’ve had in a box in the wood shed. I stand in my kitchen and cut and place pieces of life I think young men from Huntly, Mairoa, Matata and Timaru might have seen or touched. I don’t tie on the seed head of the dock – it’ll go everywhere. I wonder how often they had to grub dock and thistles or weed or mow.

I add a bird’s nest. I tie it on with a thin criss-cross of pale green flax.

I wonder how many of their Mums and Grans had that ubiquitous row of rural blue hydrangeas?   How often they had stood under ancient sky pointing Kahikatea? Felt that rasp of aged fern against shorted legs? Looked into a bird’s nest?   Walked rough hills and sticky swamps?

I lean the wreath against the door.   I move the candle jars a little further away.   In the dark all I can see are the flames.   I feel incredibly sad – the same sadness I felt last night when I read that crew list. It’s so matter of fact “….four dead one POW…” . 

I hear the trees rustle. The wind has been holding its breath.

Ake Ake   Kia kaha      For ever and ever be strong

The candles in front of the door flicker and the morning glides into the Kaimai.  I come inside and make tea.

From:  https://75nzsquadron.wordpress.com/

Take Off – Landed –
Flight Time Missing

Wellington Mk.III Z.1596 AA-K was shot down by AA fire when flying away from the target at low altitude. After dropping its bombs the aircraft was ‘coned’ by searchlights and the pilot carried out a steep dive to escape the beams, leveling out at approximately 500ft  but still in the midst of heavy light flak. The aircraft crashed near the village of Dose and all but the Rear Gunner, Sgt Dixon, who survived the crash relatively uninjured, were killed. Dixon was taken as a prisoner of war.

P/O Ian James Shepherd, RNZAF NZ404414 – Pilot.
Killed age 26.
Son of John George and Katie Shepherd, of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand; Husband of Muriel Allan Shepherd, of Timaru.
Buried Sage War Cemetery, Germany..
Grave location – 13. C. 9.

P/O Reginald Sidney Lees, RNZAF NZ404907 – Observer.
Killed age 26.
Son of William John Lees and of Harriet Lees (Nee Burt), of Matata, Auckland, New Zealand.
Buried Sage War Cemetery, Germany..
Grave location – 13. C. 8.

Sgt. James Francis Winstanley, RNZAF NZ412373 – Front gunner.
Killed age 20.
Son of Thomas and Angela Adele Winstanley, of Huntly, Auckland, New Zealand.
Buried Sage War Cemetery, Germany..
Grave location – 4. D. 12.

P/O Norman Bruce Robertson, RNZAF NZ411101 – Wireless Operator.
Killed age 25.
Son of Gilbert David and Minnie Robertson, of Hamilton, Auckland, New Zealand; Husband of Eva May Robertson, of Mairoa, Auckland.
Buried Sage War Cemetery, Germany..
Grave location – 13. C. 6.

Sgt. J. Dixon, RAFVR 613966 – Rear Gunner.
P.o.W
Prisoner of War Number: 15165
Prison Camps: Dulag Luft, Stalag VIIIB/344. Promoted to W/O whilst interned
Date of return to United Kingdom: not known

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