Dustin family pleased to see Claude honoured with poppy

Claude Dustin's family members Pat Turner (left), Judith Scott, Valerie Brown and Gordon Dustin were proud to witness the unveiling in Gonville. Photo / Bevan Conley

A little street in Gonville Whanganui was the first to get a poppy street sign this week and there will be seven others displaying the Anzac bloom.

Claude Dustin was the first soldier from Gonville to die at Gallipoli on April 27, 1915 and the street was named after him.

Four of his descendants attended the ceremony and his great-nephew Gordon Dustin said it was wonderful to be there.

"I didn't know much about Claude but he was born on December 19, and my sister and I were born on December 19, over 40 years later."

Twin sister Pat Turner, younger sister Valerie Brown and their cousin Judith Scott said it was great to see their forebear remembered as part of the Places of Remembrance Project.

The Poppy Places Trust has been established to honour ordinary New Zealanders like Claude Dustin who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Trust chairman Terry McBeth and project manager Joseph Bolton were at Dustin St for the unveiling on Tuesday and Mr Bolton said it has been a pleasure to work with the Whanganui District Council and RSA Wanganui manager Kyle Dalton to see Whanganui Anzacs honoured.

"People are often unaware of the significance of street names in their towns and the project helps to raise everyone's awareness.

Mr Bolton said the posts with poppy signs would be fitted with QR codes (digital codes) that people would be able to scan with their smartphones and find the story behind the street name.

Whanganui Mayor Hamish McDouall said working with Mr Dalton to identify the streets and bring the project to Whanganui had been an excellent project for council staff.

"The men who went to WWI were very young and Claude Dustin was killed within days of arriving at Gallipoli.

"Gonville had its own borough at the time and the members decided to honour him by naming this street for him."

The other Gonville streets to have poppy signs erected this week are Gunn St - named for William Gunn who also died at Gallipoli and Cavell Place - named for British nurse Edith Cavell who was executed by a German firing squad.

Somme Parade, Victory Place, as well Falkland St and Kitchener St in Whanganui East will have poppy signs and Anzac Parade will have 10 signs after consultation with NZTA.

Anzac Parade, formerly named Riverbank Rd commemorates the landing at Anzac Cove on the Gallipoli Peninsula on 25 April 1915 where many New Zealand and Australian troops died.

To find out more about The Places of Remembrance Project visit poppyplaces.nz