Pat Argyle (189o-1915) was one of the sons of Henry and Alice Argyle of Bunnythorpe. He and his brother Len enlisted in the NZ Expeditionary Forces together and served in World War One. This letter from Pat to his parents is from Trentham Training Camp, prior to embarking for overseas. Len and Pat both died at Chunuk Bair in 1915.
A complete list of all the people named on the Palmerston North War Memorial Cenotaph in The Square, in two parts. The first part is the original WWI names from the 1926 Memorial opening, transcribed in 1990. The second part is a list of names found by the War Research Group set up in 2005 to find all additional known war dead for Palmerston North to that date. The War Research Group consisted of representatives from the Palmerston North City Council, Palmerston North RSA, Palmerston North Officers Club and the Manawatu Standard. Trevor Richards was the researcher
A display of poppies made of flax and woven by the community for ANZAC Day 2016 in The Square, Palmerston North.
This photograph is captioned, "Winner of £50 prize for best decorated motorcar Palmerston North." While the occasion is not listed, this float can be seen in another photograph of a Final Battle Campaign event. The Final Battle Campaign was one of the fundraising efforts made by New Zealanders to raise money for the soldiers wounded during WWI. The Feilding Star gives an account of its achievements: "The Final Battle Campaign art union in Palmerston North realised about £7500. When this is added to the other money obtained in the campaign there will be £32,000 to add to the sick and wounded fund, bringing it up to £53,000 which is to be invested at 4 or 4 1/2 percent. It is hoped to be able to provide for all the men who return and who require assistance and also to assist, where necessary, the dependents of those who are away fighting". Feilding Star, volume XIV, Issue 35194, 3 May 1918, page 2.
The Awapuni Memorial at the Palmerston North Racecourse was rededicated after its refurbishment, on 20 October 2016. The memorial was originally erected at the Race course in 1929, to commemorate the New Zealand Medical Corps, who trained there ahead of deployment in World War One. After falling into disrepair a project to restore it began in 2014, at a cost of $200,000. The Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps established the project team, with Palmerston North City Council and Awapuni Racing Centre. This photograph shows the original inscription, 'In Proud Memory of the Officers and Men of the New Zealand Medical Corps who were trained on these grounds 1914-1918 and who sacrificed their lives to the Empire'.
The event celebrated the restoration of North Slesvig from Germany to Denmark following voting by its inhabitants. The Palmerston North event attracted around 400 Danish settlers and descendants of Danes from around New Zealand. See the 15 April 1920 edition of the Evening Standard for more information (available online at paperspast.natlib.govt.nz)
Battered remains of an envelope originally containing John Henry Chapman’s last letter (dated October 1918) to his younger brother Will Chapman, then serving in Northern France. It was returned to sender, arriving just under a year later marked ‘Deceased’. Will died 27th November 1918 in an army hospital in the town of Caudry, northern France, the victim of influenza, and is buried in the military cemetery there.
Colour enhanced print of Memorial Park, looking down from Napier Road side. The War Memorial at right, was dedicated to those who died in World War I and World War II, was opened in 1952 at what was then called Fitzroy Park. It was renamed Memorial Park in 1954.
This image comes from a collection of glass negatives found in the attic of a Palmerston North home. The people in the images are possibly the Lovelock family, but their identities have not been confirmed.
A war memorial to commemorate local soldiers who died in World War One was erected in the centre of The Square, Palmerston North, in 1926. The figure that sits atop the memorial was based on a similar one in Folkstone, England. Today it also commemorates those who died in World War Two, and the Korean and Vietman Wars.
A project got underway in 2014 to clean up and restore the Awapuni Memorial at the Palmerston North Racecourse. This photograph shows one of the old race course buildings adjacent to the memorial on the day of some of the early work in clearing the site. The work was carried out by the 2nd Health Support Battalion of the New Zealand Army based at Linton Camp, and Council staff volunteers. The memorial, dedicated to the memory of officers and men of the New Zealand Medical Corps (1914-1918) who were trained at Awapuni Racecourse during WWI, was erected in 1929. The memorial is a stone cairn fountain, inside a pool constructed in the shape of a cross.
Gilbert Edison Rose's parents were early settlers to the Rangiwahia district. Gilbert served with the 27th New Zealand Mounted Rifles during World War One. His military service began on 28 October 1916 and ended 17 June 1919. After training at Featherston Camp, he spent 1917-1918 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He caught malaria in 1918 and was hospitalised in Cairo - he was not discharged until January 1919. He died in Feilding in 1945, officially as a result of his earlier malarial infection, and is buried in Rangiwahia cemetery along with his family. These photographs are held with the Rose Papers in the Ian Matheson City Archives.
Gilbert Edison Rose with wife Mary Constance Cecile Hinkley (m. 1916). Gilbert Rose's parents were early settlers to the Rangiwahia district. Gilbert served with the 27th New Zealand Mounted Rifles during World War One. His military service began on 28 October 1916 and ended 17 June 1919. After training at Featherston Camp, he spent 1917-1918 as part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force. He caught malaria in 1918 and was hospitalised in Cairo - he was not discharged until January 1919. He died in Feilding in 1945, officially as a result of his earlier malarial infection, and is buried in Rangiwahia cemetery along with his family. These photographs are held with the Rose Papers in the Ian Matheson City Archives.
Wellington Mounted Rifles, B Squadron
Will Chapman in army kit (centre, nearest camera) during family farewells on the day that he boarded the troopship SS Willochra bound for Suez. From September 1916 onward he served on the Western Front as a Driver in the Divisional Ammunition Column of the 1st Field Artillery, NZFA. Shortly after the Armistice he fell a victim of the influenza epidemic and was hospitalised at Caudry, a small town about 15km east of Cambrai, Northern France. He died on the 27th November 1918 and is buried in the military cemetery just outside Caudry.
This image, showing an unidentified Captain, comes from a collection of unidentified negatives taken by H M Griffiths in the early 1900s, probably 1910-1920. Many of these negatives are labelled as having been taken in Tokomaru, but many have no information with them. They were donated to the City Archives in 1971.
The Palmerston North cenotaph, constructed in the centre of The Square to commemorate those who died in World War One, was opened by the then Prime Minister Mr Gordon Coates. It was a replica of one in Folkstone, England. Standing speaking is Gordon Coates.
This postcard comes from the Mackrell Archive. They came to be in possession of the Mackrell family by way of Huia Mackrell's wife, Doris Cammock (later Mrs Mackrell, of Woodville). They were sent by Doris' brother Frank while he was serving in the European campaign during WW1. He was killed at Passchendaele in 1917. The postcards in this series are all hand-embroidered, some of them have writing on the reverse, while others contain smaller decorated cards in the silk pouch on the front.
Private Stewart was 18 when he was killed at Passchendaele (Belgium) on 12 October 1917. Refer Fitzherbert East Aokautere School and District 1889-1989, p 77.
