The Poppy
The story of how the Poppy became an international symbol of remembrance and also a New Zealand icon is a remarkable one.
The association of the red poppy — the Flanders Poppy — with battlefield deaths as a natural symbol of resurrection and remembrance derives from the fact that the poppy was the first plant to grow in the churned up soil of soldiers' graves in the area of Flanders during the First World War.
It was verses by Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae, a Canadian Medical Officer, which began the intriguing process by which the Flanders Poppy became immortalised worldwide as the symbol of remembrance: The inspiration for the verses had been the death of a fellow officer, Lieutenant Alexis Helmer, 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillery, on 2 May 1915, during the Second Battle of Ypres (Leper) in western Belgium, for whom McCrae had performed the burial service. McCrae's verses, which he had scribbled in pencil on a page torn from his despatch book, were sent anonymously by a fellow officer to the English magazine, Punch, and published under the title “In Flanders Fields” on 8 December 1915. Three years later, McCrae himself died of pneumonia at Wimereux near Boulogne, France, on 28 January 1918. On his deathbed, McCrae reportedly lay down the challenge: Tell them this, if ye break faith with us who die, we shall not sleep.
Among the many people moved by McCrae's poem a YMCA canteen worker in New York, Miss Moina Michael (1869-1944), who, two days before the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918, wrote a reply entitled “We Shall Keep the Faith”. Moina Michael hereafter tirelessly campaigned to get the poppy adopted as a national symbol of remembrance in the United States. In September 1920 the American Legion adopted the Poppy at its annual Convention. Attending that Convention was a French woman who was about to promote the poppy — as a symbol of remembrance — throughout the world.
Madame E. Guérin, conceived the idea of widows manufacturing artificial poppies in the devastated areas of Northern France which then could be sold by veterans' organisations worldwide for their own veterans and dependants as well as the benefit of destitute French children. Throughout 1920-21, Guérin and her representatives approached veteran organisations' in the United States, Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and urged them to adopt the poppy as a symbol of remembrance. It was as a result of the efforts of Michael and Guérin — both of whom became known endearingly as the "Poppy Lady" — that the poppy became an international symbol of remembrance.
One of Guérin's representatives, Colonel Alfred Moffatt, came to put the poppy initiative to the New Zealand Returned Solders' Association (as the RNZRSA was originally known) in September 1921 and an order for some 350,000 small and 16,000 large silk poppies was duly placed with Madame Guérin's French Children's League.
In common with veteran organisations in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia, the RSA had intended to hold its inaugural Poppy Appeal in association with Armistice Day 1921 (11 November 1921). However, the ship carrying the poppies from France arrived in New Zealand too late for the scheme to be properly publicised prior to Armistice Day, thereby forcing the RSA to postpone its Poppy campaign until the day prior to ANZAC Day 1922. Thus Poppy Day, as it was immediately known, became uniquely associated with ANZAC Day, whereas in Australia, as with the United Kingdom and Canada, the appeal continued to be associated with Armistice Day.
The first Poppy Day in New Zealand, 24 April 1922, was met with great public enthusiasm, with many centres selling out of their supply of poppies early in the day. The NZRSA declared the inaugural Poppy Day a "brilliant success". In all, 245,059 small poppies were sold for 1 shilling each and 15,157 larger versions of the flower attracted two shillings each, netting the national association, after all expenses, £13,166. Of that sum, £3,695 was sent to French Children's League to help alleviate distress in the war-ravaged areas of Northern France. The remainder was used by the RSA to assist unemployed returned soldiers in need, and their families, during the winter of 1922. So began a tradition of the Poppy Day Appeal as the RSA's primary means of raising funds for the welfare of returned service personnel and their dependants.
In 1931 the NZRSA began producing its own poppies, made by disabled returned men at Auckland and Christchurch RSA. By the end of the 1930s, Christchurch RSA was even making an oversized Poppy for motor vehicles. Christchurch RSA is still responsible for the manufacture of poppies in New Zealand.
During the Second World War patriotism and public interest to remember the recent war dead resulted in record-breaking collections on Poppy Day. By 1945, 750,000 poppies were being distributed nationwide, which equates to half the population wearing the familiar red symbol of remembrance. So important was the Appeal deemed that the Government expressed no qualms about granting the necessary wartime permit for the imported British cloth. Poppy Day was set to serve the welfare needs of another generation of returned service personnel and their dependants in the postwar period.
After over 80 years, few appeals can claim the history and public recognition as that of the RSA's Poppy Day Appeal. In fact, as much as the RSA Badge, the Poppy is the recognizable symbol of the RSA and its endeavours to care for war veterans as well as remember those who never returned.
The Poppy is not only visible on Poppy Day and ANZAC Day, and other commemorative occasions, but at funerals of returned servicemen and women. It is also taken on pilgrimages to be laid at New Zealand war memorials and war graves around the world. The RSA Poppy is truly a national icon.
Poppies for the Unknown Warrior
Our Poppy will be prevalent in France on 6 November when the Unknown Warrior is handed over to New Zealand representatives at the New Zealand Memorial, Longueval – the start of his journey home and that will end with his interment at the National War Memorial in Wellington on 11 November. In recognition of the return of the Unknown Warrior and in remembrance of the more than 30,000 New Zealand war dead the RNZRSA is donating all the poppies to be worn by invited guest and participants attending the ceremonial events for the Unknown Warrior on Armistice Day, 11 November 2004. There can be no better tribute to the memory of the dead than the sight of the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior covered with poppies on 11 November. The RSA Poppy continues to serve as New Zealand's symbol of remembrance.
Dr Stephen Clarke
Historian
Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association.
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