OLD SOLDIERS.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 25, 27 May 1912, Page 5

OLD SOLDIERS.

MEMORIAL AT NORMANBY. By request, we publish the following from a Normanby correspondent":— Upwards of fifty years ago many stirring scenes took place round about Normanby, and settlers in those days carried their lives in their hands. Titikowaru, the fighting chief, was in open rebellion with the pakeha, and many a hard fought battle took place and valuable lives were lost. lA largo number of those who fell were interred at W r aihi, then a military camp, but some of the bodies were nevori recovered, notably that of. the gallant von Tompsky, whose remains were burned by the natives at Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu. The graves of these brave men occupy what is now a part of the Waihi Cemetery which is controlled by the Normanby Town Board, which for some years has been urging the Government to do'something of "a'permanent nature to mark the last resting place of

TaranakJ's heroes. Mr Jc-hn. Finlay, under the heading of "Lest We Forget," has also rendered valuable assistance, and those letters which have from time to time appeared in the Star have been the means of creating the interest of the presentday settlers in the deeds that practically won for them this fair portion of Britain's dominions. About twelve months ago Mr Finlay interviewed the Town Board on the matter, and eventually was appointed by the Board to wait on the .Defence Minister to urge the claims of that body. Mr Finlay was successful in his mission, and obtained the promise of a grant of £ for £ up to £BO. Subscription lists wove sent out and the chairman of the Board (Mr C. Davies and Mr Finlay wore appointed a committee to further the movement, and by their energy have succeeded in collecting a large part of the required sum. Mr Thos. Robsoh, one of Normauby's oldest residents, came forward with the handsome donation of £2O, stipulating that it shuld go towards a memorial in Victoria Park", and it was decided that, with the consent of the Government, this should be done. Permission being granted, it was decided that the memorial at the cemetery should take the form of a Cairn, with tibe names of those whose remains are known to he there, inscribed on it, whilst that in the Park would be a marble obelisk with the names of all who lost their lives in South Taranaki, engraved. It would he well to mention here that the whole of the money required for the Park memorial, less (he Government subsidy, has been subscribed by residents of Xormanby, and that for the Cairn in the cemetery by the settlers of the district and other friends. These memorials are now nearly completed, and the unveiling ceremony -will take place on Wednesday, May 29th, at 1.30 p.m. Invitations have been sent out to the various local bodies throughout Taranaki, to veterans, and other prominent persons, and it is hoped that there will be a very large gathering of settlers present at Waihi and the Park on that day, for it is to such men as those whose bones lie under the sod at Waihi, that Britain owes her greatness, and it behoves us of another generation to show our appreciation of their heroic deeds, and honour their memory by being present at the ceremony.