Purple poppy day today
Story by Graham McBride:
As well as the traditional commemorative red poppy, the National Army Museum remembers and honours our war animals each year on the 24 February with Purple Poppy Day. The purple poppy symbolises all animals who have died during conflict. It is estimated that more than 8 million animals sacrificed their lives in World War I alone.
Strictly in the Te Kowhai context, I once obtained this photo from Andrea (Limmer) Whittle, whose grandfather Bill Limmer (b.1895, d, 1981) is named on the Te Kowhai War Memorial Roll of Honour. Initially, in WWI, Bill undertook Compulsory Military Training, where he served locally in the 4th Waikato Mounted Rifles, then enlisted in the War in early 1918. He fought in Egypt for 1 year and 245 days, with the N.Z. Mounted Rifle Brigade, NZ Expeditionary Forces.
These (mostly) local farm ‘boys’ grew up with a very close affinity with horses – for work, travel and leisure. The bonds between soldier and ‘fighting’ horse during WWI must have been very personal, but when Bill and his fellow horsemen were about to embark for New Zealand at the end of the War, our government made the servicemen shoot their horses to avoid the cost of repatriating them.
This is Bill’s evocative image of the fate of his trusty mount! Maybe we also need some Purple Poppies on the wall at the Memorial Hall?
Story by Graham McBride
What's your favourite piece of Waikato history?
Car parks inspired a milking shed design that took off around the world and became a piece of Waikato District history.
A hundred-year-old church and gravestones from the 1880s will also feature as the district turns the spotlight on its past for its first Heritage Day on April 20.
Do you think the city needs more affordable housing projects?
An affordable rental development has been left scrambling to secure funding after it was unexpectly turned down by central government.
Bridge Housing Trust plans to build a 42 apartment complex on the corner of Tristram and Liverpool Streets in Hamilton central over two buildings. The land is being donated by Perry Group, which currently owns both sites.
You can help grow the Waikato Community Rugby Fund
Waikato Rugby celebrated 100 years of service to the community in 2021, but due to the pandemic the long-planned celebrations were not held until late 2022.
A highlight was a black-tie event at GloBox Arena at Claudelands where over 300 people enjoyed a wonderful night of reminiscence, remembrance, reconnection and reflection on what our national game means to the Waikato.
Many people put a lot of work into making the evening a massive success by all sorts of measures. One was fundraising $21,000 for the good of the game through auctions and donations, which has recently been transferred to the Waikato Community Rugby Fund at Momentum Waikato.
The Fund grows in perpetuity, with distributed returns only used for the benefit of the amateur community rugby, forever.
Donations to the Waikato Community Rugby Fund are always most welcome, to find out more and donate click the button below.
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