EX-DIGGERS ALL.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 224, 21 September 1922, Page 8

EX-DIGGERS ALL.

WINNERS OF MEMORIAL COMPETITION. It is particularly appropriate that the competitors in the competition for the design of the proposed War \%imorial Museum wtbo gained the first prize sihouiTd be men who have seen war eeTvica and played an honourable part in tih.fi .great struggle, *he events and sacrifices of which -ha de_i,_ned building is meant to .make mie-ioraMe for a.ll time. Mes.sTa. Gr.iensiotn, Aimer and Draffin all served in tihe war. The fVnst-niainvd saw service in France in iOIH witih tllio Xew Zealand Rifle Brigade, returning to tihe Donr' nion aifiter tlhe aj-m istiioe. A brother, Private W. A. GrierFon, was eniM-ted a.nd served in tihe Main "Body, was ki'.'ed on Ga.lM.po.li. Another i brotiher al'.so served. Mr. Aimer left for overseas wMi the Xort.li Auckland Eaitta.lion and wont to Francs., re'-eivimig a wound at Passeiiendaelte on October 16, 1917, and return-in*; -lame witfl. itfhe ra.nk of corporal, unfit for f_Tt(--r active service. His brother. Lieutenant G. V. Aimer, of the Flying Corps, was filled in England during the! course of aieni*! opemtions. He afoo ihad amo-her brother who saw active j ser vice. Mr. Draffin «_-? on the OaHipcJli Peninsula, \vi-Ii 4fh- Second REinforcemsinita in _h» early days of tlhe war. It wias there tiliaib hie promotion commenced, and he remaTWed on -he Peninsu'.la till evacua-.ioin, beinig one of four to '"go through the piece" from start to -fiiiiksi"]. lit Fra__e, with -lie Engineem.' Rat'taJian, >_r. Draffin served for some time a.* an n.e.o, and was twice mentioned in di spatehßS. As a i.soilt he won his appointimentt to commission-d nank on the field, and was 'later awarded the Military Cross. Singyuilarly, he was wounded l on file sarnie day an Mr. Aimer, and t'ltcy were both admitted to biie same hospital in England on -the same day. Lieutenant Draffin returned to France and was again wounded just befcfre t«hfc -rmbstiee in the l_®f; big drive against the German 'lines, made by the Allied force* in

1918. This wound, however, did not prove serious, and on being discharged Mr. Drarlin was comparatively fit. Architecture was studied together by Measn?. Grierson, Aimitr and Drailin in Auckland before the war, and Messrs. Grierson and DrnlTni. together with Mr. G. DowneT, one of the two competitors placed third, studied -at the _aime time after the wa;r mt the British Architectural Assiociatiion, and passed' tlheir examinations for the R.1.8.A. It is ailso of interest to note that each of ill- oWier placed competitors in the O-mipeti.ion 'Saw active service.