The Defence Force says it simply did not have enough soldiers available to fire a gun salute at Christchurch's Anzac Day dawn service yesterday.
About 12,000 people packed into Cranmer Square for the service.
The Christchurch RSA president, Peter Dawson, says it was frustrating not to have the traditional gun salute and no explanation was given at the time.
A Defence Force spokesperson says because of the number of personnel deployed overseas, including more than 500 in Fiji for Operation Pacific Relief, there were not enough staff to provide firing parties in all the usual places.
