In Loving Memory: 2/1667 Corporal Amede Rocard, NZFA, 22/3/1893-19/3/1918.

Amede Rocard was born, one of twins, in Dunedin. Both of the twins, Amede and Auguste, went to the war, enlisting early in the year of 1915. Both were blacksmiths before they enlisted. Amede left Dunedin from the Railway Station on April 17th, one of Otago's contribution to the 6th Reinforcements, cheered on by a large crowd and lauded by Dunedin's Mayor and senior clergy.

He became part of the 6th Howitzer Battery of the New Zealand Field Artillery, his rank recorded as "Corporal/Shoeing Smith." In those days of horse-drawn artillery, his job was a vital one.

NZFA units being inspected by the General Officer Commanding, General Roberts.

In April of 1916, he embarked on the troopship "Minnewaska" and landed, with his battery, on the soil that his father had left in the 1870s. The Field Artillery were in France for the "Big Push" - the Battle of the Somme, in which the newly trained armies of Britain and her empire would break through the German lines and, assisted by the cavalry, return to open-country warfare and chase the enemy all the way to Berlin.

But the Germans had had almost two years to prepare their defence. A German Army motto, cherished by its Generals was: "More sweat, less blood." Their defence against the weeks of preliminary bombardment by British Artillery was deep, concrete-lined shelters. There the troops would sit while the world above them was turned to hell by high explosives. When the barrage lifted there was enough time to clear the steps, bring up their machine guns and ammunition belts, and greet the soldiers who had been told there was a good chance they would be walking, unopposed, through the ruins of the German trenches.

The Battle of the Somme opened on July 1st. One and a half million shells were fired by British forces at German positions. Many of the shells were shrapnel - ineffective against men in shelters but it was hoped that the German wire wold be cut by it. New Zealand soldiers entered the Battle in September. Two of the German defensive lines had been breached. A third remained, plus a lightly made fourth. A strong push against these could produce the decisive breakthrough.

The Field Artillery played their part and could judge the success of the advance by their being pushed forward to new positions on September 10th. Batteries fired at trenches, observation posts, supply roads, at any movement seen across no-man's-land. Gas shells were also fired.

But the cost was high. In eight months at Gallipoli, the New Zealand Army had lost nearly 2800 men. In 45 days on the Somme, the toll was approaching 2100. Three assaults were made by New Zealand troops but German reserves and German artillery were always there to stop progress. And it rained. The assault of the British Armies on the Somme was called off in November.

Rocard served with his Battery through the equally dark days of "Third Ypres" or Paesschendaele in 1917. When the "Kaiserschlacht" of 1918 opened, his Brigade was in the area of Ypres town and remained there in support while the other two Brigades of the NZFA moved out. The 2nd's expectation of remaining in support was overwhelmed by events and they found themselves fighting a rearguard action. The Official History describes the event which took the life of Corporal Amede Rocard: "The old wagon lines near Dickebush were occupied on the 16th of March, Brigade Headquarters going to Halfway House, and on the following two days the 5th, 9th, and 6th Batteries went into action in the neighbourhood of Birr Cross Roads, and the 2nd Battery near Kit and Kat. On the 19th the wagon lines were heavily shelled by high velocity guns, the resultant casualties to men and horses being so severe as to necessitate the establishment of temporary lines near Hallebast Corner."

Amede's twin brother Auguste, survived the war and died in 1959.