WAR GRAVES

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 71, Issue 6138, 19 September 1945, Page 4

WAR GRAVES

CONSTITUTION OUTLINED In view of the fact that Te Awamutu Cemetery Board recently decided to make available a portion of the local cemetery for the burial of returned services personnel, the following article from the R.S.A. Review is of interest:— What constituted a war grave and a non-war grave was outlined tyy Mr- S. A. McNamara, officer in charge of war graves of the Department of Internal Affairs, to a meeting of the Tauranga Cemetery Trustees Board, the Western Bay of Fflenty Returned Services’ Association, and the Works Department recently. Whether a soldier was from this war or the last and he died through causes attributable to war disability he would be buried in a military pemetery, and the Government would erect a plaque over his grave, it was stated.

On the other hand, if a soldier from either war died from natural causes not attribtuable to war injuries although he might have been disabled in some way in the war, he would still be buried in a military cemetery, but the Government would not erect a plaque over the grave. It would, however, allow the next of kin to purchase a plaque at cost price if they so desired. Mr McNamara said there was no means test applied when it became a question as to what was a war grave and what was not. The decision rested with a War Pensions Board after reviewing a soldier’s medical papers. It also took into consideration the coroner’s verdict, and then in conjunction with the deceased’s military history the Board made its findings and the final decision was reached by the Department of Internal Affairs.

The speaker illustrated the case of an Imperial soldier who had no kith or kin in New Zealand or any military history recorded. This soldier would be entitled to burial in a military cemetery, he said, but as .his papers would not be in New Zealand the decision of the Department could not be made as to whether the soldier was entitled to a war grave or not. In the meantime the Department communicated with his former rgeiment in England, and on his papers being forward the Board then ’made its finding. Should the Imperial soldier not be entitled to a war grave with a plaque, erected at the Government’s expense, a temporary cross would be erected.

Mr McNamara mentioned that as temporary crosses tended to make lawn cemeteries unsightly, the Returned Services’ Association was negoitating with the Government to have one war grave without any distinction.