SOLDIERS’ GRAVES

Otaki Mail, Volume 27, 17 November 1919, Page 2

SOLDIERS’ GRAVES

TRACING THEIE LOCATION. A particularly gratifying response has been made 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 locution of graves to be marked on tho official plans with accuracy, although the wooden marks placed in position at tho time of burial have disappeared. Many relatives of deceased soldiers jeccivcd photographs of graves from friends of the fallen, and these now constitute valuable evidence of locution , especially if the surrounding natural features arc shown, enabling thoJposition to be picked tip on the plan. Base Records officials arc sparing no trouble to follow up clues which will enable graves to be properly i marked. As an example, one friend of Ij, dead soldier wrote that his old pal f was buried at the rear of a particular | trench, which he roughly sketched. As j 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 “pin point’’ plan of the area, and the relatives of the dead soldier will now have the satisfaction of knowing that the grave of their kinsman lcan.be definitely located. The Rev. I Gluts. J. Bush-King has rendered good service by submitting a schedule of 51 [ -raves of men buried by him on the i Peninsula, with careful references to tho location on the. official plan. All the information is being communicated to the. official* responsible for locating, marking and recording the graves, so . that memorials of a permanent nature may be provided.