New Zealand Defence Force personnel have marked Anzac Day at home and around the world, with senior officers representing the country at ceremonies across the Pacific, Asia, the Middle East and Europe.

Royal New Zealand Navy, New Zealand Army and Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel attended and took part in scores of dawn and morning services on Saturday, paying tribute to all New Zealanders who have served in war, warlike conflicts and peacekeeping missions.

Senior NZDF personnel represented the New Zealand military at ceremonies in the Cook Islands, Fiji, Niue, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu and Solomon Islands, as well as South Korea, where a New Zealand Army platoon is training alongside local troops.

Further afield, the day will be commemorated by staff stationed in South Sudan, the Middle East and in the United Kingdom, where Ukrainian troops are being trained. In Türkiye, a contingent of NZDF personnel is supporting and taking part in commemorations on the Gallipoli Peninsula.

Speaking at the national service at Pukeahu National War Memorial in Wellington, Chief of Defence Force Air Marshal Tony Davies said New Zealanders had gathered to honour those who put service before self.

“We remember those who, in moments of great uncertainty and danger, placed the needs of others above their own, not for recognition or reward, but because it was right to serve,” Davies said.

“That spirit was present on the shores of Gallipoli, carried through the hardships of two world wars, and sustained across decades of peacekeeping, conflict, and humanitarian service.

“We honour those who did not return, and we acknowledge the families who carry their absence still. Their sacrifice is woven into our national story and into our shared identity.”

This year’s services carry several significant anniversaries. It marks 110 years since the New Zealand Division arrived on the Western Front during the First World War, and the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Kap’yong in April 1951, where the Commonwealth Brigade fought a defensive action against a Chinese division in South Korea. Filling a gap in the United Nations line, the Royal New Zealand Artillery’s 16 Field Regiment played a vital supporting role.

It is also 25 years since New Zealand combat troops first arrived in Afghanistan, with the initial NZSAS deployment landing in Kandahar in December 2001.

Anzac Day 1946 was the first peacetime commemoration since 1940, with about 69,000 New Zealand veterans of the Second World War then re-establishing themselves in civilian life.

Davies noted that this year was the first time contemporary veterans had been officially recognised as part of Anzac Day.

“Their service continues quietly, often unseen, yet always grounded in the same values of duty, courage, and commitment,” he said.

“Across generations, services, and missions, there is a bond that endures, a bond of shared purpose and shared sacrifice. It binds past to present, and it binds all who serve, in uniform and in support, to something greater than themselves.

“As we remember, may we also recommit, to service, to each other, and to the values that Anzac Day calls us to uphold.”