AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Calling all forum members who are heading to war cemeteries in France, Belgium and elsewhere. Some years ago I started a project to photograph every New Zealand headstone and memorial walls in WW1 cemeteries around the globe. The project was/is big and has taken me - at my own expense - to many far-flung places. My goal: to make the pictures available to the people of NZ, many of whom have not and are - for various reasons - unable to visit the grave/memorial of relatives who died. About 18,000 NZers died in WW1. I have amassed a collection of thousands - 5,000 - of the same and am continuing to snap away every time I go to Europe. I live in London so it's not too difficult to get away for a weekend jaunt. It occured to me recently that many forum members visit cemeteries in France, Belgium and elsewhere, so why not ask if they'd mind taking the odd photograph for my project. So, cutting to the chase, if there's any one heading to a WW1 cemetery would they be willing to take some photos of NZ headstones for me. I can provide plot and grave details to those who volunteer their services. Of course, I will continue to do the Lion's share of the work so don't think I'm trying to farm it out entirely. Any help will be greatly appreciated and acknowleged with the complete database. My goal is to get it complete withing 18 months to two years from now. If any one has photos already taken that they are willing to share that would be great. I'm sure you will all understand how important such a database will be, especially to a nation so far removed (geographically) from Europe. Feel free to email me on amacdonald@msm.co.uk if you have any queries etc. Please email pictures to the same address. Thanks in advance. Andy Macdonald Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugby-137 Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Hi Andy As you live in London i assume you have already photographed Brookwood, if not i would be more than willing to do it for you. Regards Phil Henry Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Hi Andy As you live in London i assume you have already photographed Brookwood, if not i would be more than willing to do it for you. Regards Phil Henry Phil, I've not taken too many photos in the UK as yet. My travels tend take me to the continent. It would be wonderful if you could take the Brookwood pix. I can send you a list of NZers buried their and their location (plot etc) tomorrow. All I ask is that the pictures show as clearly as possible the whole headstone and so that the engraving (where possible) is legible. Thanks. Andy M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugby-137 Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy I already have 1 of a new zealand nurse that i took for someone else, if i can have your e-mail i`ll send it to you now. Regards Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy I already have 1 of a new zealand nurse that i took for someone else, if i can have your e-mail i`ll send it to you now. Regards Phil amacdonald@msm.co.uk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugby-137 Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy They are on their way let me know if you receive them ok. They are big files so they might take a while to download. Regards Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy They are on their way let me know if you receive them ok. They are big files so they might take a while to download. Regards Phil Thanks Phil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Lines Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy What about the ones in Brokenhurst, Hampshire in the New Forest. Have you got the book on the NZ hospital there? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy What about the ones in Brokenhurst, Hampshire in the New Forest. Have you got the book on the NZ hospital there? Yes, I do have a copy of the book. I do not, however, have pictures of the graves suitable to be published on the web. Can you help out? I can send you a list of NZers buried their and their location (plot etc) tomorrow. All I ask is that the pictures show as clearly as possible the whole headstone (so that it fills the frame) and so that the engraving (where possible) is legible. Look forward to hearing from you. Andy M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Saillard Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Hello Andy ! I do not know what your situation is like regarding the island of Malta. There are 75 members of the NZEF (WW1) and 7 members of the RNZAF (WW2) in several local CWGC cemeteries. There are a further 85 members of the RNZAF (WW2) commemorated on the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial. Providing you are not in a rush, I will TRY and help out where I can, should you require these photographs. Regards Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Hello Andy ! I do not know what your situation is like regarding the island of Malta. There are 75 members of the NZEF (WW1) and 7 members of the RNZAF (WW2) in several local CWGC cemeteries. There are a further 85 members of the RNZAF (WW2) commemorated on the Commonwealth Air Forces Memorial. Providing you are not in a rush, I will TRY and help out where I can, should you require these photographs. Regards Wayne Wayne, That would be brilliant. I can send you a list of NZers buried their and their location (plot etc) tomorrow. All I ask is that the pictures show as clearly as possible the whole headstone (so that it fills the frame) and so that the engraving (where possible) is legible. As the photos are ultimately for family and researchers, I try to get them as clear as possible, which saves having to re do them. I'm sure you know the drill. My interest is primarily in WW1 headstones and memorials, but if you've time and patience enough to do the WW2 ones as well that would be great. I can forward them to the aviation boffins at home! Actually, my wife's great uncle is buried on Malta. He was Eric Sargisson, DOW x Gallipoli. Email me at: amacdonald@msm.co.uk Andy M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Denham Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy Are you aware of the New Zealand War Memorial Project being run by the same people that organise the British War Memorial Project? They have collected many NZ pics to date and you may be able to help them and vice versa. Their aim - as with the other similar projects - is to make available a picture of every war grave headstone and eventually put them on the net. They can be contacted at nz@wargraves.org.uk (Sam Howman) or you can reach them through the BWMP address. I and several other Forum members are regular contibutors to this and the other projects. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyMacdonald Posted 12 September , 2006 Author Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy Are you aware of the New Zealand War Memorial Project being run by the same people that organise the British War Memorial Project? They have collected many NZ pics to date and you may be able to help them and vice versa. Their aim - as with the other similar projects - is to make available a picture of every war grave headstone and eventually put them on the net. They can be contacted at nz@wargraves.org.uk (Sam Howman) or you can reach them through the BWMP address. I and several other Forum members are regular contibutors to this and the other projects. Terry, Thanks for the tip. Yes, I am aware of the other project and wish them well in their endeavours. You will recognise that my project (specifically about NZ WW1) is far more advanced with some 5000 war graves (WW1 only) snapped already, and that doesn't include the numerous and also photographed memorial walls. Feel free to submit your photos to my project, which will be hosted on the exclusive website www.anzac.co.nz. Naturally, you will be credited properly. Rest assured, I am not interested in competing with the British project, just getting the resource up and running for my countrymen. It will also include a vast array of other material relating to NZ soldiers died in WW1, as researched and amassed by me over the past 24 years. To this end I have commissioned bespoke website, photographic and database software. Andy M Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aaron Nelson Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy, Have just sent you an email re some pics I have. Also, I hve an idea and this may potentially double the size of your project However as you are probably aware the Auckland War memorial Musuem has a lot of pics of the individuals themselves. They trawled through the Weekly news memorials and thier cenotaph database has many pics. As an idea, you could place a pic of the individual next to the photo of thier headstone on your website, it would certainly portray that each of these headstones represents an actual person. As the museum has done most of the work in this area most of the photos are thier. As I say I know this a huge undertakinhg and well done for taking this on, my idea may just create more headaches for you. Kind regards Aaron. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liam Posted 12 September , 2006 Share Posted 12 September , 2006 Andy, have you managed to get to Cannock Chase. Although this is primarily famous for its German cemetery there is a commonwealth one as well which has quite a few New Zealanders who mainly died during the flu epedemic of 1918. Happy to pop down there for the afternoon if you havn't. Liam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Lines Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Yes, I do have a copy of the book. I do not, however, have pictures of the graves suitable to be published on the web. Can you help out? I can send you a list of NZers buried their and their location (plot etc) tomorrow. All I ask is that the pictures show as clearly as possible the whole headstone (so that it fills the frame) and so that the engraving (where possible) is legible. Look forward to hearing from you. Andy M Don't worry about a list Andy as there are only a couple of military burials in the church that aren't NZ'ers! Do you know of any more in the New Forest area you need? Will be in touch Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 I'm sure I have a one somewhere from Cumbria- Long Marton I think. I'll try and find it and send it to you.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wayne Saillard Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Hello again Andy ! Sorry for not getting back to you sooner - but we have just ended a 15 hour power cut. It commenced last night just after I had posted my offer to help. There is no need to send the list of names and cemeteries as I already have them. The only thing I do not have, and would like to obtain, are the dates of enlistment. I will send the photographs of the panels on the Commonwealth Air Forcese Memorial later today. Regards Wayne Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alliekiwi Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Hi, Andy I'll send you a copy of the one I've got. Rifleman R. Tilzey. Can't remember the details off hand and have a cat sleeping my arm so I'm typing one handed. Allie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rugby-137 Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Hi Andy I have just e-mailed you 2 more photos taken today on another project. I hope to do more tomorrow for your project. Regards Phil Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sotonmate Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 Andy There are quite a few WW1 Kiwis in the Netley Military Hospital Cemetery at Netley near Southampton Hampshire. If you haven't covered that I will do it for you some time soon. Best wishes Sotonmate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spike10764 Posted 13 September , 2006 Share Posted 13 September , 2006 The Long Marton one was WW2 I have the private inscriptions of two in the UK on family stones WIGHTMAN, BELFORD ANNAN Private 45177 21/02/1918 32 New Zealand Machine Gun Corps New Zealand BUTTES NEW BRITISH CEMETERY (N.Z.) MEMORIAL, POLYGON WOOD - Silloth St Pauls and RICHARDSON, JOSEPH WILLIAM Trooper 17534 22/09/1918 23 Auckland Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F. New Zealand Panel 1. JERUSALEM MEMORIAL Cotehill Churchyard Let me know if you would like these- I've PM'd you also Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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