We expected the Auckland War Memorial to be an amazing place, and it fully lived up to those expectations. The most sobering time spent viewing the Spitfire display at the memorial was at the Roll of Honour, on which the names of New Zealand’s fallen soldiers are engraved. At one point, I simply sat and listened to the silence in the giant hall.
That mood changed to one of awe, however, when we entered the exhibit containing a Spitfire display. I found myself comparing the Spitfire, and its counterpart, the Japanese Zero, to today’s jets with their high-tech gadgetry. While there’s no comparison in terms of flying or fighting capabilities, the bravery of the men who flew those airplanes is equal in every way to that of today’s pilots. Which is why the Roll of Honour, with its thousands of names, lives on as a reminder of our past and the tragedy of war.
Want to see more photos from our trip? Here’s a link where you can check out all the entries in our travel journal. Learn more about the Auckland War Memorial at aucklandmuseum.com.
