William Lee, a WWI veteran buried in an unmarked grave after the 1938 Hawke's Bay floods, finally has a headstone befitting his service more than 80 years later. Photo / Paul Taylor
William Lee, a WWI veteran buried in an unmarked grave after the 1938 Hawke's Bay floods, finally has a headstone befitting his service more than 80 years later. Photo / Paul Taylor
A World War I veteran who lay buried in an unmarked grave in Napier's Park Island cemetery finally has a headstone befitting of his service.
William Lee, born in 1870 in Ireland, served in the Otago Infantry Regiment with the 12th reinforcements until 1918.
He died in the Hawke's Bayfloods of April 1938, and was buried and seemingly forgotten until his story was uncovered by the New Zealand Remembrance Army this year.
The group, which works to restore service headstones and memorials of returned servicemen and women, made sure Lee got the recognition he deserved, unveiling a headstone they had bought for him, at a ceremony on Saturday.
NZ Remembrance Army Napier co-ordinator Denise Gore said it was a special day, with "quite a few relatives" among the 50 or so people who attended the unveiling ceremony.
NZ Remembrance Army Napier co-ordinator Denise Gore says there are dozens more veterans like William Lee in unmarked graves across the region whose stories they hope to learn. Photo / Paul Taylor
She said the rain held off just long enough to allow them to pay their respects with an address detailing his service, placing of a wreath and sounding of The Last Post, and an honour guard fallout.
"For a lot of us, it was a very moving time.
"I had prickly eyes because he had lain there since 1938 with no recognition."
It was especially moving for the family in attendance, Gore said.
"The family wanted to take the flag off. They were quite involved, which was nice.
"The ones that came were so grateful. It was very special for them."
Whakatāne woman Gail Rosevear made the trip down with her sister and her mother.
"William Lee is a brother to my great-great-grandfather."
Already a keen family genealogist, she found the connection and mention of the unveiling ceremony on a genealogy website.
"I'm interested in family history."
Long-lost relatives of WWI soldier William Lee, Norma Turner (left) of Taumarunui, and Gail Rosevear of Whakatāne, came to pay their respects at the unveiling ceremony. Photo / Paul Taylor
She said it was a shame her dad was unable to attend as Lee was her father's great-uncle and would have been "the closest to that generation".
Rosevear knew the Lee family had moved over from County Clare, Ireland, with eight kids but found it hard to get much information about this side of her family.
She hoped to go there herself, like Norma Turner from Taumarunui who also shared a connection to Lee through his younger brother and travelled down for the ceremony.
Also a keen genealogist, she has been tracing her whakapapa for several years and was alerted to the headstone unveiling by another of Lee's relatives with whom she was already connected.
"It was a momentous occasion for me.
"I knew of him and how he died in Napier but didn't know where he was buried.
"To actually visit and be present was historic for me."
She said it was a moment of "lost but found" and said she appreciated all the work that had been done
Gore said Lee was just one of many unmarked graves in Napier the group aimed to learn the history of and share their stories.
