SOLDIERS’ GRATES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1919, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ GRATES

TRACING THEIR LOCATION. WELLINGTON, this Day. A particularly gratifying response has been male to a recent official appeal to soldiers and others to forward to Base Records, Wellington, particulars of the location of soldiers’ graves on Gallipoli. Many photographs and plans have been sent, giving information which has enabled the. exact location of graves to be marked on the official plans with accuracy, although the wooden marks placed in position at the time of burial have disappeared. Many Relatives of deceased soldiers, received photographs .of graves from friends of the fallen, and these now constitute a valuable evidence of location especially if the surrounding natural features are shown, enabling the position to be picked up on the plan. Base Records officials are sparing no trouble to follow up the clues which will enable graves to be properly marked.' As an example, one fritend of a dead soldier wrote that his old pal.was buried at the rear of. a particular trench, which he roughly sketched. As corroborative detail, he mentioned that the grave was just at the spot at which the battalion messenger on a particular date entered the trench about the hour of darkness. This messenger was traced by the Defence authorities, he was shown a “pinpoint”, plan of the area, and the relatives of the dead soldier will now have the satisfaction of knowing that the grave of their kinsman can be definitely located. The Rev. Chas J. BushKing has rendered good service by submitting a schedule of 51 graves of men buried by him on the Peninsula, with careful references to the location on the official, plan. All the information is being communicated to the officials responsible for locating, marking and recording the graves, so that memorials of a permanent nature may b'e provid-