46559 ~ ROBERT JOSEPH CROSSEN A WW1 Memorial Plaque (also called a 'death penny',' deadman's penny' or 'death plaque') sent to the mother of a WW1 soldier from Rollerston, was re-presented to his grand-nephew at the Oxford RSA on Armistice Day 2018. The plaque had been handed into the Oxford RSA and Rhonda Graham-van Rooden, a former RNZAF & … [Read more...]
ROBERT JOSEPH CROSSEN ~ ‘Death Plaque’ reunited on Armistice Day with Rollerston soldier’s descendant family.
November 14, 2018 By
RFLM. NORMAN BARNARD OTTO WESTERHOLM ~ Update 2018: Etaples Military Cemetery, France
November 4, 2018 By
Honouring the life and sacrifice of Palmerston North soldier, RFLM. NORMAN BARNARD OTTO WESTERHOLM - KIA, 9 September 1916 Moira G. was the donor of Rflm. Norman Westerholm's 'death plaque' found in Wellington several years ago which MRNZ was able to return to descendant family in Australia. Recently Moira made a pilgrimage to the WW1 battle … [Read more...]
JOHN JOSEPH O’DONNELL ~ West Coaster’s medal reunited with Army’s ‘Sword of Honour’ graduate.
October 11, 2018 By
37725 ~ JOHN JOSEPH O'DONNELL The name of O’Donnell is well known on the West Coast of New Zealand with the descendants of Irish immigrants still populating most towns up and down the length of Westland. Generations of O’Donnell men have worked as miners, mill workers and bushmen/loggers, and the O’Donnell brothers in this story were no … [Read more...]
SAMUEL CHASE ~ Nelson Weekly News … 10 October 2018
October 10, 2018 By
Grave marker unveiling after 77 years for Hawkes Bay soldier ... 4/4594 Private Samuel Chase Canterbury Infantry Regt., NZEF 1915 ~ 1917 Read the full article here: http://nelsonweekly.co.nz/2018/10/forgotten-ww1-soldier-honoured/ … [Read more...]
CHARLES EDWARD STEVENSON ~ Reunited ‘Death Plaque’ leads to an unclaimed ANZAC (Gallipoli) Medallion.
October 8, 2018 By
6/554 ~ CHARLES EDWARD STEVENSON An article published in the Timaru Courier was sent to me by South Canterbury lady Olwyn, currently living in Texas, USA, as she thought I may be interested in helping to find a descendant for a medal being offered. The article (right) related the story of a Mr John Watson of Timaru who had bought a WW1 Memorial Plaque … [Read more...]
PTE. SAMUEL CHASE ~ 05 October 2018 ~ Update #2.
October 6, 2018 By
Memorial to Forgotten First World War Soldier ~ Headstone Unveiled As advised in my last Post Update (17 Aug 2018), a ceremony of remembrance to officially mark the grave of a WW1 veteran soldier who lay in an anonymous grave for 77 years, was held this week in the Catholic Section of the Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson. 6/4594 Private Samuel Chase, … [Read more...]
GEORGE FIRMAN ~ Stolen medals of missing Dakota DC3 passenger are reunited with Dunedin family.
September 25, 2018 By
NZ4312786 ~ GEORGE FIRMAN ~ RNZAF On 24 September 1945 a Royal New Zealand Air Force C47-B Douglas Dakota (DC3) Serial No. NZ 3526 left Espirito Santo, the largest island in the New Hebrides archipelago, with 20 air force personnel aboard bound for RNZAF Station Whenuapai. After routine radio communication between the aircraft and Santo had been … [Read more...]
!! MEDALS FOUND !! ~ Stolen WW2 medals listed on Trade-Me auction ~ !! MEDALS REUNITED !!
September 24, 2018 By
Leading Aircraftman George Firman !! MEDALS REUNITED !! They say it pays to advertise. This case proved it does - after our Post on Facebook a few weeks ago regarding the Stolen and aborted return of the medals, they have been recovered. The Pacific Star and a Memorial Cross named to LAC George Firman, RNZAF who lost his life returning to NZ after the … [Read more...]
CHARLES HENRY GARTNER ~ Bushman, Axeman, Feller, Sawyer, Trimmer, Mill Hand, Saw Doctor – it was in his blood.
August 25, 2018 By
56764 ~ CHARLES HENRY GARTNER This is another story whose success was directly attributable to posts we place on the Auckland War Memorial Museum's Cenotaph website of digitized WW1 veteran's files. This case involved a medal which belonged to a man whose ancestors were a well known pioneer family in the Dannevirke and Marlborough and Tasman areas by men … [Read more...]
“STOLEN WW2 MEDALS” ~ Trade-Me Auction, 20 Aug 2018
August 22, 2018 By
!! ~ STOLEN MEDALS SOLD ON TRADE-ME ~ !! ~ 20 August 2018 ~ Medals named to NZ4312786 Leading Aircraftman George FIRMAN - 40 Sqn, RNZAF died on air operations in September 1945 while he was travelling home after the war from Espirito Santo where he had been serving. The Dakota aircraft went missing and was lost with all aboard; no trace was ever … [Read more...]
