Crosses to honour fallen soldiers

At the sunset service in 2015 at Waipukurau, 75 crosses were placed for all the CHB men who died during WWI. At this year's ceremony on April 24, 30 crosses will be placed to specifically remember the soldiers who died in 1917.

White crosses honouring the 30 Central Hawke's Bay servicemen who perished in 1917 during World War I will be placed at a ceremony at sunset on Anzac Day eve.

Waipukurau and Districts RSA president Janet Castell said the crosses would be laid between the War Memorial Hall and the cenotaph in Russell Park in Waipukurau at the ceremony, which starts at 4.30pm on Monday, April 24.

At the corresponding ceremony in 2014, 75 crosses were laid representing every CHB soldier who died in Europe during WWI.

The next year, the soldiers who perished in 1915 were remembered while last year's ceremony paid tribute to those who died in 2016.

Ms Castell said this year it was time to honour the 30 soldiers who died in 1917.

Biographies had been prepared for each man and family members are welcome to attend the ceremony to read them out and place a cross for their fallen family member, she said.

"Those who haven't attended a sunset ceremony before soon find out it can be quite an emotional experience," said Ms Castell, who explained the cross-laying ceremony was to a reminder about the ongoing sacrifices made by local families throughout the war.

"For some reason, many people tend to think the soldiers died all at once in one year in World War I [in 1914]. But of course, that wasn't the case. Families were suffering each and every year of the war."

Any family members interested in placing a cross and reading out a biography should phone the RSA on 858 8864 by Thursday, April 20.

People attending the Anzac Day Dawn Service at Waipukurau are asked to gather near the Cenotaph before the parade starts at 5.45am, with the service beginning at 6am.
Soldiers to be honoured: JE Avison, CL Beattie, HS Benington, GK Bogle, H Cameron, W Collins, RN Davidson, A Dimes, J Doria, P Doria, GD Fox, W French, RJ Gordon, J Hallett, AJ Hallgarth, CJ Hansen, D Hildreth, J Jamieson, J Johnston, M Johnstone, JNO Maloney, JAS Maloney, WJ Mcaughern, F Mclean, J Mcleod, SF Paget, HM Saunders, C Scia Scia, D Smith, H York.

Porangahau tribute fundraiser

Some of the soldiers to be honoured at the sunset ceremony in Waipukurau also appear on one of the plaques inside Porangahau's War Memorial Hall. Currently there are two memorial plaques inside the hall, one for soldiers who died in WWI and the other for those who died in WWII.

Porangahau Memorial Hall committee member Carol Slingsby said as part of a planned upgrade of the foyer of the hall, a more detailed and pictorial tribute to the soldiers whose names appear on the plaques will be created.

Sal Criscillo has been commissioned to collaborate all information and photos but to help with fundraising, Carol said there would be breakfast in the hall for $10 following next week's Dawn Service on Anzac Day. "Every soldier has a story. This is Porangahau's offering and an acknowledgement of the ones who served the country and never made it home," she said.

Descendants of the fallen soldiers or anyone with information and photos or letters are asked to call 06 8586252. Anzac Day Dawn Service at at Porangahau begins at 6am, but people are asked to gather before 5.45am for the start of the parade at the memorial hall.
See pg 13 for full list of Anzac Day services in CHB