VANZ News Issue 7
Eve Wins Top Prize for her Letters From Passchendaele
A collection of letters from a soldier at Passchendaele to his family has won Whangaparaoa College student, Eve Bain, 17, first prize in the inaugural Battle of Passchendaele Multi-Media Competition.
Eve was presented with a $2,000 grant towards her tertiary study by the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs Hon Judith Collins at a function marking the 94th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele, at the Auckland War Memorial Museum on 12 October.
The competition, Why don’t we remember the Battle of Passchendaele, is sponsored by the Minister of Veterans’ Affairs and coordinated by Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand. It will be an annual event for Year 13 students. Entries could take the form of an artistic representation, essay, diary, letters, music,poetry, short film or web feature.
The competition aims to commemorate the Battle of Passchendaele which was fought in Belgium as part of the Allied offensive on the Western Front in 1917.
On 12 October 1917 New Zealand suffered its greatest loss of life in a single day in New Zealand military history.
“The battle, in which 2700 New Zealanders were listed as killed, wounded or missing in just two hours, was a monumental loss to this country. This competition aims to ensure that we never forget the sacrifice these soldiers made on that terrible day,” Ms Collins said.
“Eve’s entry, For the Cause of the Empire, is a powerful tribute to those that sacrificed their lives during the battle,” she said. Eve said she wanted to show the human side of the battle with her entry. “I wanted to provide a holistic approach showing all different sides and the ongoing nature of the effects of war.”
Eve will use her prize money towards her tertiary study at Victoria University next year where she plans to study law and political science.