Tauranga: 19th September

The next members’ meeting for U3A Tauranga Inc is Friday 19^th September.  Tauranga Yacht Club Venue, 90 Keith Allen Drive, Sulphur Point.  Time: 9:45am for 10:00am start through to 12:00 Noon.

Entry Fee: $5.00, to cover morning-tea and Venue.

Main Speaker:
Chris Archer and Warren Dawson

Topic: “Recovering a New Zealand ANZAC Legacy -The story of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles’ Brigade in Egypt and Palestine (1916 to1919)”.

Outline: On the Eve of WW1 in 1914, New Zealand dispatched two brigades to join the Imperial Army. One was an Infantry brigade; the other was a brigade comprising three regiments of Mounted Horse. Their immediate destination was Egypt, but after the disaster of Gallipoli the infantry brigade was sent to Europe, and the Mounted brigade was retained to the defence of Egypt. Over the next three years the troopers of the NZMR rode their horses 400 miles across desert and mountain in a campaign that defeated the Ottoman, German and Austrian forces in a series of decisive victories, unmatched in military history. Yet, their extraordinary story was largely forgotten in the aftermath of the war. A hundred years later their legacy started to be recovered.

Christopher Archer is a former secondary teacher, historian and author. His book, ‘Saviours of Zion’ describes the action of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade in Egypt and Palestine during WW1.

Warren Dawson is a farmer, developer and entrepreneur businessman who in 2018 connected with Israeli historians to follow the route his grandfather had ridden 100 years before as one of the Mounted brigade.

Both have been closely involved with a project to erect a 5 metre Silver Fern in the Moshav of Gan Sorek, Israel, to commemorate the sacrifice of New Zealand troopers during the Palestine campaign.

Short Speaker:
Phil Hansen

Topic: ‘EVs need a new mindset.’