Our French connection to heroic day

A piece of music has proved a timely reminder of the deep connection between Marlborough and one of New Zealand’s proudest military feats.

The Marlborough District Brass Band dedicated a piece in their recent Anzac Concert to the capture of Le Quesnoy, and the connections of the small French town less than ten kilometres from the Belgian border to Marlborough have proven to run deep. The brass band’s choice of music has resonated with many across the region, especially two men with strong ties to the town.

Marlborough’s Luke van Velthooven, who was involved in the commissioning and renovation of Le Quesnoy’s New Zealand Liberation Museum Te Arawhata, and Marlborough District Council Chief Executive John Boswell have each felt the depth in connection between Le Quesnoy locals, their history, and their appreciation for New Zealand. “I’m proud to have been involved from the start with the NZ Memorial Museum Trust since 2019 as part of the project control group to manage the build, refurbishment and installation of the experience with team members in both New Zealand and Le Quesnoy,” said Luke.

“The personal experience of seeing the eagerness of contractors to learn and do a good job with the project and display this unique story, we’re very fortunate to have a shared motive of protecting and remembering the history of the Le Quesnoy district.” Luke went to France for the 2020 commissioning of the museum and its 2023 opening, while remaining connected with the project during and since its design.

“We established strong connections through which we collated the information, took the idea to market and found its home inside the refurbished mansion, while meeting some incredible local people along the way, especially young people eager to get involved.

“The museum’s soft opening welcoming locals for a free first look proved the strong emotional connection to me ... most people had tears in their eyes walking out and we had people come up and say ‘thank you for looking after us back then, we hope we’ve looked after your boys well’.

“It’s been fantastic to deliver a special, authentic museum to a special, authentic little town,” he added.

John Boswell’s last visit to Le Quesnoy was in 2024 under his former role as head of the New Zealand Army, where he too was impressed by the dedication of the township to remember the efforts of young New Zealanders.

“Le Quesnoy’s liberation was a distinctly New Zealand operation that showed innovative tactics to infiltrate and liberate the town without the significant death and destruction of similar places across the Western Front.

“To be able to stand where the soldiers placed ladders to scale the wall was an incredibly surreal experience and brings life to the remarkable part of New Zealand military history which happened here.

“The dedication of Le Quesnoy’s residents to the achievements of New Zealanders and their ongoing appreciation, especially with the addition of the new museum, is remarkable. In my roles with the Army, I spent lots of time in various capabilities on the Western Front and the contribution of New Zealand at that time for a small nation at the end of the world was immense, so it’s only right we remember it to this day.”

Former Deputy PM and regular Marlborough visitor Sir Don McKinnon attended commemorations first in 1995 – during his tenure as the Commonwealth’s Secretary General – and is pleased the story has found a permanent home as at the time of his first visit, New Zealand didn’t have a specific visitor centre on the Western Front.

“My sister Kate attended the [brass band’s Anzac] concert, spoke very highly of it to me and mentioned Le Quesnoy, knowing how I’d been previously. It struck my wife and I how knowledgeable and thankful the town and its people were for the efforts of a country from the far-flung end of the earth.

“The story of young Averill finding the only ledge where borrowed apple orchard ladders were able to reach the top of the wall is a real Kiwi ingenuity, number 8 wire kind of story.

“I carry the place with me each Anzac Day and always encourage New Zealanders to go and support those historical connections as much as Le Quesnoy supports them.”