PM announces winners of Battle of El Alamein essay competition

Prime Minister Helen Clark tonight announced the winners of the student essay competition on the Second Battle of El Alamein.

"The four winners are Adam Allington (Onslow College, Wellington) Lara Markstein (Macleans College, Auckland), Anna Reymer (Sacred Heart Girls College, Hamilton), and Pip Wilson (Otago Girls High School, Dunedin).

"The authors of the these essays will accompany the official New Zealand delegation to Egypt next month for the commemorations marking the sixtieth anniversary of the Second Battle of El Alamein.

"As with previous essay competitions on the Gallipoli campaign and the Battle of Crete, interest from senior high school students was again high with around one hundred entries.

“The winners were selected by the Speaker of the House and former history teacher, Jonathan Hunt.

"My congratulations go to all the students who participated in the competition. Judging by the standard and number of entries to this competition, interest among our young people in a key episode of New Zealand's wartime experience is very high indeed," Helen Clark said.

The four essay competition winners will accompany the Prime Minister to Egypt for the commemoration and participate in international and Commonwealth ceremonies. They will be part of a delegation which includes veterans groups, a New Zealand Defence Force honour guard and concert party.