MEMORIES OF TURUTURU

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 6

MEMORIES OF TURUTURU

MONUMENT AT THE REDOUBT. IMMEDIATE ERECTION DECIDED. Immediate erection of a memorial to perpetuate the memory of British soldiers who fell at Turuturu-Mokai Redoubt iu July, 1868, was decided upon at a meeting of the reserves committee at Hawera yesterday. The architects (Messrs. Duffill and Gibson) were requested to submit plans of a cairn, which could be erected for the sum available, and it was hoped to proceed with the work at an early date. Mr. Townsend recalled that it had formerly been intended to provide a memorial, the cost of which was estimated, at £3OO. Plans for such a monument had been prepared and approved. Certain amounts had been donated, and the receipt of a Government subsidy had at one time appeared probable, but it had been made definitely clear-that such assistance could not be looked for. At present the funds amounted to £132, and, there being no prospect of that sum being augmented to any considerable extent, the committee had decided to abandon the original plan and proceed with the amount available. The names of certain of the men who fell in the engagement were known to the committee, proceeded Mr. Townsend, but iu the endeavour to ensure that none would be omitted from the inscription Mr. G. Beamish, Pa tea, a survivor of the engagement, would be consulted, and Mr, H. Findlay, Tokaora, was to be asked if any information was available in records kept by the late Mr. John Findlay. The committee would also appreciate any assistance in this direction from district residents having knowledge of the men who were killed in the engagement, said Mr. Townsend.