GRAVES ON GALLIPOLI.

Taranaki Daily News, 22 January 1920, Page 5

GRAVES ON GALLIPOLI.

WORK OF COMMISSION. FORMATION OF CEMETERIES. The work which has been done by the New Zealand authorities in locating graves on Gallipoli was referred to by Captain C. V. Bigg-Wither, of Auckland, who was for some months so occupied on Gallipoli, and who will return in a few weeks.

The work so far has been confined to the registration of graves, the collection and interment of scattered bodies, and the general cleaning up of the battlefields. The registration of graves is not complete, on account of the confused state in which many of the records have been left. Another difficulty is that many records were lost in torpedoed vessels.

The formation of permanent cemeteries has not yet been undertaken, but a start will be made in March, when the winter weather 'moderates. The commission is now doing preparatory work in the way of forming roads and strengthening bridges to stand heavy traffic. The permanent cemeteries will be located on suitable sites, where the soil is least likely to suffer from erosion by the heavy winter rains. They will be properly walled in, and will be laid out as far as possible upon the plan of British cemeteries in France. Part of the scheme is a "series of monuments on a number of notable battlefields where Australian and New Zealand troops were engaged. It has been arranged to erect tliese jointly as commemorating the exploits of Australians and New Zealanders alike.