MYSTERY "DIGGER"
Can Any "N.Z. Truth " Reader Identify Soldier's Photograph ? .(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Auckland Representative.) Who is the mystery soldier, whose picture, is reproduced on this page, and who are his relatives ? Base records, Wellington,. antl the Secretary of the Auckland Returned ..Soldiers' Association have failed to find an answer to the query, and now, after long and exhaustive investigation, the R.S.A. through the secretary, have sought the aid of "N.Z. Truth" m the hope that its Dominion- wide circu- '. lation may be the means of solving what is at present a mystery.
•THE photograph came into possession 1 of Base Records some time ago, but m spite of close inquiries no trace could be found of the relatives of the man to whom the Base Records Department wish to return the picture. Nothing whatever is known as to the man himself. Whether he was killed m action, reported missing, wounded and sent back to New Zealand nobody seems able to say. All that is known about the mystery "Digger" is that his cap badge bears the inscription "A XVI," . which definitely establishes the fact that he left New Zealand — or at least joined m N.Z.— "A" company of the 16th reinforcements. "A" company represented th© Auckland district. Base Records iknows nothing about it except that the photograph by some means came into its possession — and that is all. Some weeks ago the photograph, an enlargement about 12 inches by 18 inches, was forwarded by Base ■Rpporr?'* to Secretary Sharp, of the A v ekla nd R.S.A., with a request that efforts be made to find the owners. For days Sharp carried the photograph around making inquiries. But nobody could throw any light whatever upon the picture. The only clue on which Sharp could
work was the writing on the back of the picture of the name of an Auckland firm — Hill and. Plummer, framers, Queen Street. Sharp was unable to obtain any assistance from Hill and Plummer. They went to great trouble to assist, even rummaging m their basement for information, but all to no avail. Finally, Sharp decided to appeal to "Truth," with a request that the picture be published m the hope of clearing up the mystery. Whether the man pictured was killed m Flanders, or whether he returned to New Zealand and is to-day moving: about as a civilian, Sharp could not say. N "Base Records want to trace the owners of the photograph," Sharp told "Truth." "They have been unable to do so and I have been no more successful myself. It occurred to me that your paper with its Do-minion-wide circuJation might succeed where we have failed." ! Any reader of ' (this paper who identifies the picture' is urged to notify the officer m charge Base Records, , ; Wellington, or to communicate with the secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association, Auckland, from w h o,m • the rightful owner will receive the photograph.
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https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZTR19281213.2.4
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NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 1
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487MYSTERY "DIGGER" NZ Truth, Issue 1202, 13 December 1928, Page 1
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