ROLL OF HONOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20391, 21 October 1929, Page 12

ROLL OF HONOUR.

QUESTION OF COMPILATION.

NO INSUPERABLE DIFFICULTY.

THE,, SCOPE AND TERRITORY.

On the ground of difficulty of compilation, tho War Memorial Committeo has decided not to proceed with tho roll of honour which was to have been one of tho chief memorial features of tho museum.

Tho Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association is now in a positiop to say that there are.' no difficulties of any moment. Tho Base Records Office of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force can supply the Auckland list; it has done so in regard to tho Wellington casualties for the Wellington memorial. All that is first necessary on the part of tho Auckland committeo is to dotermino exactly what is required. Some memorial authorities havo required a list limited strictly to those who enlisted in their district. Others havo included tho men who were resident in the district at tho timo of their enlistment, although enlistment took place in another part of the Dominion. Others, again, havo further extended tho list by adding to these two classes the names of men who, although they lived in other districts and enlisted there, wcro born and educated in tho district whore tho memorial was being erected. Thero havo been cases where tho list, was made still wider by the inclusion of tho names of men whoso next-of-kin resided in tho district concerned, although tho men had not been associated with the community. Threa Classes. Under tho original plan the Auckland roll of honour was to comprise those who had paid tho supremo sacrifice. Obviously, this list would include those who diod through disease or accident, even if they did not a reach a battlefront. A question that would havo to bo decided, provided tho roll of honour is not to bo eliminated, would bo what should be done with tho names of men who died sinco dischargo. Tho cause of tho death of many of them was duo to wounds or disease suffered while on service, while in other cases tho causo might not be traceable to their sorvice. But thero is nothing "insuperable" about such difficulties. Baso Rocords has very complete information and when once tho committeo decided the limits of the list tho rest is merely a routino task. Ono ox-soldier has suggested a list in threo sections: —(1) Those killed in action; (2) those who died in hospital, on hospital ship, on transport or in camp during the war; and (3) those who died after dischargo from causos traceable to their war servico.

Only in regard to tho third Bec|ion of this list is thero any danger of controversy, but tho possibility of controversy need cause no alarm. Tho committee would simply act in accordanco with tho rules laid down.

Wellington Method. Another point which would have to bo decided beforo Base Records could proceed with its task would be the boundaries of the territory for which the museum is the memorial. Here again no serious difficulty appears. The War Carillon Committee in Wellington decided that its district should be from Paekakariki on the one side to Upper Hutt on the other. Thus, all that has to be decided is the extent of the Auckland territory and the scope of the list required. Base Records can do flics rest.

First, however, the War Memorial Committee will have to rescind its amazing decision to "abandon" the definite promise made in the original appeal for funds in 1923, that tho names of those who died would be "emblazoned" oil tho walls of tho hall of memories. Neither the returned soldiers nor the public is disposed to agree to forget that promise. Already there have been suggestions that "constitutional action" should be taken to hold the committee to tho conditions upon which the money was raised. Said one ex-soldier: "Twice my pal carried me out of action after I had been wounded. He was a great soldier, and he died from his own second wound. I regard it as a sacred duty to do my best to see that his name is not forgotten, and therefore, with tho great brotherhood of servicemen, I intend to fight for tho roll of honour."