“The ashes sit in it and a memorial plaque can be placed over the top of it - like a smaller-scale headstone.”
The project is a collaboration between the council, the Marton RSA (Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association) and Veterans’ Affairs New Zealand.
Marton RSA president Alan Buckendahl said the wall allowed for a large number of families to place ashes in one structure - without a lot of ground space.
“People can walk around it and pay their respects,” he said.
“It will probably hold more than 48 urns at a time and it’s modular, so as it fills up, Veterans’ Affairs are prepared to come down and put the next module on to the end of it.
“This is a really worthwhile venture, and a lot of people will get benefit from it over the years.”
The Marton branch currently has around 140 members, with some still serving at Base Ōhakea.
Buckendahl said the RSA had been working to extend plot availability for veterans for a number of years - either for coffins or ashes buried with a plaque.
Veterans’ Affairs provided $14,000 towards concrete works for the new services area and covered the cost of the wall -$28,000.
A ceremony commemorating World War I and II veterans with unmarked graves took place at the cemetery at the start of 2023.
“All the things happening now were being spoken about then,” Buckendahl said.
“Everything just takes time.”
He said in recent years, the RSA had been involved in funerals for a 107-year-old World War II veteran and an 86-year-old naval veteran who served in the Korean War.
“Veterans will go on and they’re very likely to want to be with their mates, if you like.
“When I go out to the cemetery, my father’s plaque is in the RSA section. A lot of his mates are within 2m of him.
“His name is also on his own headstone with his wife and family names further up in the cemetery as well. Going into the RSA plot doesn’t mean your name isn’t going to be somewhere else.”
Caldwell said the council managed eight cemeteries in the district.
“Most public cemeteries have special recognition of those who have served in the defence forces, either with specific plots where they can be buried or memorials to signify their service.
“To be eligible for burial in a services cemetery you must have served as a member of Her Majesty’s Forces on certain deployments, or be the spouse or partner of someone who has.”
Mike Tweed is an assistant news director and multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily the Whanganui District Council.
