WAR TROPHIES FOR MUSEUM.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIX, Issue 129, 31 May 1918, Page 4

WAR TROPHIES FOR MUSEUM.

Some interesting mementoes of the war have boon presented to the Auckland Museum by Mr. (.". .1. Parr. M.P. for Eden. Jn the covering letter, which was considered by the trustees at the meeting this afternoon, the donor states that these articles were presented to him during liis visit to the front in 1016. when one of the four members of the Parliamentary party from New Zealand. Mr. Parr wished* to present them to the Museum, in order that the articles might form the nucleus of a collection for the Auckland province of mementoes of the great war. The bane of a 9in.Germaii high explosive shell, which is amongst the articles presented, has an interesting history. it came from the front trench near Arnientierc.s. where Colonel Plugge and" Major (now Colonel) Shepherd Allen were at that time in command. The shell struck a Belgian building one thousand yards to the rear of that trench, and the metal base, which was presented to Mr. Parr, rebounded back again the same distance, and dropped in the front trench, fortunately without injuring any of those near where it struck. It was handed to Mr. Parr as a memento by the officers of the Auckland First Jiattalion. There are also three "German fuses for these shells, and it is of interest to note that" even in 1010 one of the types was of a much inferior class of workmanship to the other two. The base of the brass fuse has cut in it a full-range time list for explosion. There is also the empty casing of a French 7.~> shell, which has on the bottom "made in I "5.A.." an evidence that in 191G the Americans were supplying ammunition to our Allies as well as to Ureat Britain. Another interesting donation is a German army revolver, with leather pouch. This latter article is an illustration of the thoroughness of Herman methods, as there is attached to the overlapping cover a strap which, when the user wishes to use his revolver, pull* the weapon out aa the top is raised. The revolver is a magazine one. with room for fourteen cartridges, and in the pouch is space for another filled magazine, which gives the soldier 2S shots. This revolver was presented to Mr. Parr by Lieut, G. ('. Brook, who stated that it hal been taken by Corpora! Hogarth, of the North Auckland Regiment, from a German officer after "a foray.