‘Disgusting and disappointing’: Gun and US Marine’s dress uniform stolen from hut in Kāpiti’s Queen Elizabeth Park

Inside the replica US Marines wartime hut which had seven items stolen from it. Photo / David Haxton

Key items in a replica United Marines wartime hut have been stolen.

The hut is in Queen Elizabeth Park, on the Kāpiti Coast, as part of a memorial dedicated to US Marines Corps stationed in the area before battles in the Pacific during World War 2.

“It’s disgusting and disappointing indeed,” Kāpiti US Marines Trust’s Anthony Dreaver said.

Thieves smashed a toughened-glass window and took a non-firing replica Garand rifle, a metal helmet with camouflaged cover, a dress uniform, folding shovel, baseball and bat, canvas leggings, and a water bottle.

“It has taken a long directed effort, and tools, to break in, and steal the items.”

Someone smashed a window to gain access to the hut. Photo / David Haxton

Dreaver hoped whoever was responsible would “have a re-think” about the items and “drop them off somewhere”.

“That would be great because creating the display took a lot of work. The items aren’t valuable in themselves but they’re hard to find. The dress uniform, for example, was given by a former US Marine.”

The stolen dress uniform that was owned by a former US Marine. Photo / Mark Coote

“It’s his dress green uniform with badges on it.”

The items are shown on the trust’s revamped website www.marinesnz.com

Items in the hut were selected based on a drawing by a member of the 2nd Marine Division.

The hut was opened to the public on US Memorial Day, May 29, 2017.

A replica US Marines hut was broken into and seven items were stolen. Photo / David Haxton

It has attracted countless visitors, who have looked through windows to get a feel for what life was like for the marines.

Dreaver said anyone with information about the missing items should contact the trust or police.

“We would very much like to know about it.”