Restoration for military graves

WAR GRAVES RESTORATION: Uawa-Tolaga Bay Anzac Day preparation team member Greg Shelton (left), Padre Bill Grey and Anzac committee chairman Vic Walker spearheaded local volunteers’ part in cleaning headstones at the weekend in the military section of the East Coast township’s cemetery.

New Zealand Remembrance Army members and a team of volunteers embarked on a special mission in Uawa-Tolaga Bay’s military cemetery on the weekend.

Armed with scrapers, cuttlefish, white paint and cleaning products their mission was to restore to their original condition the headstones of fallen servicemen — and that of the sole woman in the otherwise all male cemetery. Restoration of the headstones is part of the preparations for the East Coast township’s Anzac Day commemorations on April 25.

New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA) national coordinator Simon Strombom demonstrated how to brush white paint over inscriptions on the grave stones, scrape the granite clean then lightly rub it with a piece of dried cuttlefish to reveal the rejuvenated lettering. Other volunteers worked on cleaning lichen and grime from the bronze plaques.

“One thing Simon is good at is making the history come back to life,” said Peter Fraser of 7 Wellington/Hawke’s Bay Battalion.

“The men are never actually dead as long as people are still talking about them.”

The NZRA recognises New Zealand’s war graves are not cared for as well as those overseas, said Padre William Gray. The NZRA’s mission is to record, restore and maintain New Zealand’s war graves to the same standard or higher than those overseas.

Padre Grey and Anzac preparation team member Greg Shelton had waterblasted the 120 gravestones the previous day in preparation for the cleaning mission. Flower pots by each grave were taken away to be repainted in dark grey. The base they stood on will be repainted and the flower pots will be set in new, black pot holders.

Several of the names inscribed on the gravestones are fading but after considerable research organisers were able to match servicemen’s names to their plot, said Padre Gray.

“We’re going to unveil and re-dedicate these stones on Anzac Day. It’s about making sure the sacred parade ground is of the highest order for all time.”

He hopes the war graves restoration programme will continue to other East Coast townships.

Mr Shelton’s late grandmother Noema Shelton is the only woman buried in the military cemetery. She was the matriarch of the town during World War 2, said Padre Grey.

“She brought the women together to make socks and scarves here to send to men serving overseas. When she died the men wanted her to be buried here but women weren’t allowed to buried there. She was interred in the public cemetery but at the edge of the military section. As part of the centenary commemorations in 2015 the entrance to the soldiers’ plot was modified to bring Mrs Shelton into the military cemetery.

Volunteers involved in cleaning the war graves cleaning team were fortunate to have Padre Gray’s passion to galvanise them into action, said Anzac committee chairman Vic Walker.

“We’re here on April 6, 100 years to the day in 1919 when the Pioneer Maori Battalion troop ship arrived back in New Zealand.”

The significance of this year’s Anzac Day ceremony is that it is part of the Tuia – Encounters 250 commemorations. It allows people to celebrate a history that is unique to both cultures, Maori and European and builds on the theme of dual heritage, shared future, he said.

Anzac Day commemorations at Uawa-Tolaga Bay will begin with a dawn service at 6am at the war memorial gates followed by an unveiling of the rejuvenated war graves rededication service at the cemetery at 7am.