Firstly, why is the western side of the memorial not photographed.
Secondly, I am curious to know why the WW1 names on the western side are not in alphabetical order. Were they added later?
I am curious as to how the name of Private L.V. Kirby appears. Although he was born in Petone, his family moved to Britain when he was a child and he fought with a British regiment, possibly the Royal Lancaster Regiment.
He was my mother's cousin, and I still have contact with his niece in Hampshire. Possibly it was David McKenzie, who was mayor of Petone between 1927 and 1934 who arranged for the name to be there. He was an uncle of Leonard Kirby.
My great uncle Philip Richard Bond is named on this memorial. He was killed in Gallipoli on 5 June 1915, one hundred years ago today. Philip is buried in Shrapnel Valley, a very peaceful and beautifully kept site.
My Grandfather H Hodgkinson has his name on this memorial, he was killed in France on the 26/10/1918 and he is buried in the Cross Roads cemetery there, he really is Walter Herbert Henry Hodgkinson, he married Agatha Clare Sarah lee and they lived at 2 Oriental St Petone.
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