Raglan Museum after WW1 photos and stories

By Ken Soanes, Raglan Museum, July 2014

Raglan Museum volunteers are after WW1 photos and stories. If you have any photos tucked away, Ken Soanes and the other Museum Society members working on the project would like to hear from you. They are preparing now for Raglan’s WW1 Commemoration Exhibition which is due to be displayed in the museum from February 2015 (the 100 year anniversary of the engagement of New Zealand troops).

While the Museum has had some very interesting photos and stories come forward to date as a result of an earlier article in the Chronicle, we expect that a lot more stories and photographs are in the possession of relatives and friends that are still tucked away. This is an opportunity to have your soldier relative remembered for all time, preserving his story. The stories about the mothers, fathers and how families coped while their men were away is also important to be told. Were horses from farms in Raglan taken overseas? If so we would like to know.

While this exhibition will be on display for a period of the WW1 anniversary time, the stories and photos will become part of a permanent display in the museum. A touch screen presentation will display each soldier’s individual portrait as well as any information that we can gain from our research. While some inofrmation is available in databases, such as the Auckland War memorial, photos of each soldier are important and many are not available from that source. Even if the photos or are faded or damaged we would welcome getting copies as many old photos can be repaired and rejuvenated.

The museum is also preparing an audio-visual display and are looking for soldier’s relatives to volunteer to help with this project by presenting stories that may have been passed on over the generations.

The exhibition will be based not only on the soldiers that enlisted from Raglan and district but will also be include those from families that lived in Raglan prior to 1914 and who settled here after WW1. As the names of these soldiers will be unknown to the museum committee, a call from a family member would be appreciated.

There is usually somebody at the museum on most mornings available to take calls on 825 8925 or you can leave a voice message and they will call you back. Or call Ken on 825 6553.