Wellington  - Thousands of New Zealanders turned out to Anzac Day services honouring their war dead on Friday, the 93rd anniversary of the ill-fated allied force assault on Gallipoli in Turkey during World War 1.

New Zealand lost more than 930 men in the first three days of the assault and more than 2,700 died and 4,752 were injured, some fatally, before they withdrew eight months later.

New Zealanders and Australians combined to form the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) for the assault which was designed to give the British navy command of the Turkish-held Dardanelles.

April 25, now known as Anzac Day, is a public holiday in both countries and the most important day of public remembrance for those who died in both world wars and other conflicts.

Veterans of the Vietnam War, who will be officially acknowledged by the government for the first time at a formal commemoration next month, were particularly recognised at a dawn service attended by more than 10,000 people in Auckland, Radio New Zealand reported.

More than 2,000 attended the dawn service at the Cenotaph in central Wellington while troops mounted a dawn-to-dusk vigil over the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior at the National War Memorial. (dpa)