Pilot's personal link to Passchendaele ceremony

“My great uncle, Charles Shearer of Ross, Westland was wounded fatally 7 June 1917 during the Battle of Messines. He is buried in the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery in Harzeburg, not far from Passchendaele,” Rob says.

A former St Kentigern’s College student, Rob joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1988, and is now the Operations Flight Commander at Number 5 Squadron, flying P-3K Orions. “My role involves operational flying, being an aircraft captain, instructing, as well as the command, leadership and management of the operational flight of 5 Squadron,” he says.

Some highlights from Rob’s career to date have been operational deployments to Somalia and the Arabian Gulf. “The Air Force consistently gives me a sense of enjoyment, challenge and pride in pretty much everything I do. The friendship, banter and teamwork is second to none. The job is so varied with operational low flying and Antarctic patrols and we get to visit exotic locations in the South Pacific and South East Asia to name a few.

“The Air Force has educated me and given me leadership and management skills that I just wouldn’t have gotten anywhere else. It’s hard work but it’s fun,” he says.

While in Belgium Rob will be the detachment commander and guard of honour commander at two ceremonies on 4 October. These will be attended by the Prime Minister Helen Clark, Chief of Defence Force Lieutenant General Jerry Mateparae, Chief of Army Major General Lou Gardiner as well as New Zealand Defence Force personnel from the UK and New Zealand.

Ceremonies will be held on 4 and 12 October to honour the New Zealand soldiers who fought and died at Passchendaele. The Battle of Passchendaele on October 12 1917 was the most tragic day in New Zealand’s military history; in just two hours more than 2800 men were killed, wounded or listed as missing in action.

ENDS