THE WAR MEMORIAL

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 35, 10 August 1936, Page 8

THE WAR MEMORIAL

(To the Editor.)

Sir, —With reference to the letter appearing in "yesterday's issue of "The Post" over the signature "John Citizen," and your explanatory notes appended thereto, it is stated in the last paragraph of the notes "that New Zealand has not even yet a Roll of Honour to her sons who fell so gallantly fighting on her behalf." This statement is incorrect. Acting under instructions from the then Minister of Defence, Sir Heaton Rhodes, a Roll of Honour was compiled and published in 1924. This was arranged in three sections as under:—

Section I: Killed in action, or died from wounds inflicted, accident occurring, or disease contracted while on active service.

Section II: Died after discharge from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force from wounds inflicted or disease contracted while on active service.

Section III: Died from accident occurring or disease contracted while training with or attached to the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in New Zealand.

This contained an explanatory introduction with notes describing the treatment of war graves and cemeteries overseas and in New Zealand. It also has an article giving a description of the battlefield memorials which were then in course of erection in France, Flanders, Gallipoli, and Palestine under arrangements initiated by Sir James Allen when Minister of Defence.

A complimentary copy of this book was forwarded to the editors of all newspapers throughout New Zealand (including the "Evening Post") on August 1, 1924, as well as to historical libraries, etc., and the book is still on sale at the Government Printing Office. An advertisement referring to the Roll of Honour has also appeared in the "New Zealand Gazette" periodically during the last twelve years.—l am, etc.,

L. C. FORGIE, Late Officer-in-Charge, War Accounts and Records. August 8.

[On the above letter being referred to the writer of the explanation to "John Citizen's" letter it was admitted that there is such a "Roll of Honour" as Major Forgie describes. It is a 353----page publication which is on sale at 5s per copy, plus 8d for postage. This, however, it was urged, is very far from being the "Roll of Honour" contemplated—a handsomely bound and illuminated book in which the names are inscribed on vellum, which will last throughout the ages, and of which there is one copy only. The "Roll of Honour" referred to by Major Forgie, it was declared, is not worthy of the name and certainly not of a rich country like New Zealand.]