The Duke of Cambridge commemorates soldiers who fought in the Battle of Passchendaele

OHMYGOSSIP — The Duke of Cambridge commemorates those who fought in the Battle of Passchendaele.
The 35-year-old royal praised the New Zealand Division who fought in the 1917 war in Belgium at a commemoration ceremony held in the European country on Thursday (12.10.17) to mark 100 years since the horrific event, which saw almost 1000 soldiers killed or seriously injured.
And in the service Prince William recognised those who risked their lives as anything other than “ordinary”.
Speaking at the event, which has been reported on stuff.co.nz, Prince William said: “All too often the newsreels speak of ‘ordinary’ men and women. There was nothing ordinary about their service or their sacrifice.”
And William – who has four-year-old son Prince George and two-year-old daughter Princess Charlotte with his wife the Duchess of Cambridge – met with the only surviving Victoria Cross recipient named Willie Apiata during his visit.
When William met with Willie the pair exchanged a hongi, which is the traditional Maori greeting where the people meeting press their noses and foreheads together.
William continued to praise the troops for showing “great resilience and strength of character”.
He said: “In battle and back home, New Zealanders demonstrated great resilience and strength of character, qualities we still admire in New Zealand today.
“The fight in these fields was of a magnitude and ferocity that is difficult for us, today, to fully comprehend.
“But while we may never truly understand, we can remember.
“The memory of those who fell here at Passchendaele has been kept alive for a century by New Zealand families.”
During the visit William laid a wreath at the New Zealand Memorial Wall as a tribute to those who tragically died.
And he also unveiled a plinth to mark the centenary of the Battle of Passchendaele.

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