By Rachel Morton
Prime Minister John Key has arrived in London to attend the Anzac Day service at Hyde Park, along with thousands of Australians and New Zealanders.
Mr Key caught the Eurotrain in from France where he attended a wreath-laying ceremony for the New Zealand soldiers who defeated the Germans at the end of the First World War in the northern city of Le Quesnoy.
Back in New Zealand, thousands of people braved the cold, wet weather to attend Anzac Dawn Services around the country.
In Wellington, it was especially significant for the families of three servicemen who died in an Iroquois crash exactly a year ago.
In Christchurch it was also an opportunity to remember those who died in February’s earthquake.
In the pouring rain at Auckland’s War Memorial Museum, thousands gathered.
“I think people are touched when they come here. There's a different spiritual atmosphere around here and people go away feeling that they have some way connected with things of the past,” says Dennis Tomes.
In Wellington, flight lieutenant Hayden Madsen, corporal Benjamin Carson and flying officer Daniel Gregory were remembered.
It is one year today since they died in an Iroquois crash in the hills north of Wellington on their way to the Anzac service.
“We are from Auckland, but because the boys were flying - were heading towards this service last year - we just felt that we wanted to be here to finish the mission that they started this year,” say Steve Gregory, Daniel Gregory’s father.
The day also held extra significance in Christchurch - a city still recovering from February’s devastating earthquake.
“Unfortunately we have lost some members, we lost two members in Sumner who were in a bus that was crushed and of course the RSA always suffers when it loses members in that kind of accident,” says Christchurch RSA president Russ Barron.
Christchurch's Anzac service is usually held at Cathedral Square, which is in the red zone, so it was shifted to Hagley Park.
Although there was a change of venue the message was the same.
“About people that went to war and didn't come back and to remember them,” says Mikayla Cooper, the granddaughter of a war veteran.
The service was also held at the later time of 7:30am, so residents could travel safely on the city's damaged roads in daylight.
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