Opunake War Memorial (1921)

The foundation stone for the Ōpunake War Memorial was laid on Bowen Crescent by Governor-General Viscount Jellicoe on 27 October 1921. The Governor-General also unveiled the Pātea District High School memorial steps and memorials at Manaia and Auroa on the same day. 

Originally, metal gates made by Mr Trotter, a local blacksmith, were located at the gateways to the monument. These were later removed.

From top down at front:

Eight Shields on the upper 2/3rds of the obelisk. From top down:

N / Fernleaf / Z
Belgium and olive branch
Egypt              "
Samoa            "
France            "
Salonika         "
Gallipoli           "
Palestine        "

[Panel of crossed swords, fernleaf, oak leaves and flaming grenade]

To the Memory / of / Our Boys / Who Fell in the / Great War / 1914-1918

Black granite plaque:

In Memory / Of Those Who Fell in the / 1939-1945 War

Morris W M       Alvis W

GREATER LOVE HATH NO MAN

White marble plaque in top concrete step:

This stone was laid by / His Excellency Lord Jellicoe / Governor General of New Zealand / 27th October 1921

Grey marble panel in fourth concrete step:

THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE

Right side black marble panel:

Affleck D *                                    Cameron T
Aitken A J                                    Campbell W J

Allan A                                        Connell S
Baker H                                      Connell W
Barlow H                                     Cooper W G
Beech J T                                    Coupe J
Bewley J                                     Crofskey J
Billing F R                                   Corkery T F
Billing A E MM                            Duckworth R F
Birkett H R                                  Ewan G T
Bowman H F                               Fennell J J
Breed H A                                   Fitzsimmons E J P
Burrows J H                                Farah J F   
Buchler F J L                              Gibson W    
Buchler J W                                Gilbert S    
Callaghan C H I                          Graham A

Rear black marble panel:

Graham                                                 Jarrett W
Guild W A                                              Julian M D
Harrop G A                                             Julian E O
Hall E                                                   Kappely H
Hall R                                                  Kappely W
Hannam F                                           Keasberry J C
Hawton L V                                              Kelly R S
Hill R S                                                 Lampard J
Hodgson A F                                         Laurenson G S
Hodgson H F                                              Lawn W [M]   
Hodgson R                                              Looney W C
Holmes W J                                             Lothian S D
Hurst C J                                              Mawhinney R
James S G                                                Morgan T
Jackson H                                                McGarvie R
Jarrett W A                                                  Owen G

Left side black marble panel:

Paterson D                                               Stephenson J H
Peters W                                                    Stevenson W
Pierson C                                                        Stitt A M
Pierson F                                                       Tindle J C
Phillips J H                                                      Travers J
Quickendon T                                                  Trotter C A
Rae R E                                                     Twomey H M
Raynor W                                                       Vincent M
Rowland E D N                                             Warner A R H
Sharrock H                                                        Wells H
Shefford J                                                      Wells D K
Simmonds H                                                  Wheatey M

Simpson A                                                                     
Smith H                                                                        
Smith D                                                                        
Smith W                                                                        

Lower black marble panel:

2 NZEF (Japan)           Korea
1946 - 1948             1950 - 1954

Malaya Malaysia      Vietnam
Borneo                   1964-1972     
1955-1966  

Notes:

'Quickendon' above should read 'Quickenden'.  

Private David Affleck (14916) died of wounds on 25 April 1918, and was buried at Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No 1 in Somme, France. David was the son of Robert and Jessie Affleck of Opunake and worked as a farmhand before the war. He enlisted on 15 February 1916 and left New Zealand on 26 June 1916 with the 14th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company. His last service unit was the 2nd Battalion Canterbury Regiment. He was wounded on 5 October 1917 and admitted to hospital where he died of wounds on 25 April 1918. He is also remembered on the Awatuna Memorial.

Related document:

Ōpunake War Memorial Entry, Ōpunake Heritage Inventory (June 2003).