With the 1915 anniversary of the Gallipoli landings coming up next year plans that will include Codford have begun, with a visit from Rob Taylor, the Deputy High Commissioner from the New Zealand High Commission in London.

Mr Taylor was accompanied by the High Commission public diplomacy manager, Ceilidh Dunphy, and Jane Thomas, president of the of the New Zealand Women’s Association.

They were met at St Mary’s Church by David Shaw, vice chairman of St Mary’s Parochial Church Council, Barbara Saunt, chairman of the Wylye Valley 1914 Committee, and local writer Romy Wyeth.

Mr Taylor was interested in a possible permanent memorial of the ANZAC presence in the church, which is close to the largest New Zealand War Grave Cemetery in the UK.

The party visited the Commonwealth War Graves, then Punchbowl Farm to view the former site of No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital.

Next year’s ANZAC Day Service will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the Gallipoli Campaign.