New Zealand War Graves Trust exhibition

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

In Anzac week, the New Zealand War Graves Trust successfully held an exhibition of its photographs and stories from New Zealand, New Caledonia, Tonga, Samoa, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, Australia and South Africa. The exhibition was officially opened by Judge Mick Brown, patron of the New Zealand War Graves Trust, and was held in Auckland at the Ranfurly Veterans Home, a new and welcome association for the War Graves Trust. Guests at the opening included the Minister of Defence Dr Wayne Mapp, personnel representing the Royal New Zealand Navy commander Philomel and the Commanding Officer, 1 SAS Group, Papakura Camp and Les Fleming, Head of Internal Services, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Dr Mapp said he knows how families can be moved by the sight of a distant war grave of a loved one, as he once agreed to photograph war graves on Crete for New Zealand families, when they were not able to see the sites for themselves. It is a nice coincidence that the New Zealand War Graves Trust was inspired by just such a photo from Suda Bay of the grave of Private W. G. Bain, N. Z. Infantry, June 2, 1941, aged 23..