Pupils remember war dead

TRIBUTE: Gabriel Davidson (St Teresa's School, left); Chloe North (Featherston School), Esme Skelton (Kuranui College) and Kael West (South Featherston School) march forward with the crosses.PHOTO/ANDREW BONALLACK

Youngsters from four schools helped lay out the 41 white crosses to recognise Featherston's WWI soldiers - and one nurse - at Featherston War Memorial on Sunday.

The crosses, each marked with a knitted poppy and individually named, were brought out four at a time by students from Featherston, South Featherston and St Teresa's Schools, and Kuranui College.

The service was part of a nation-wide commemoration called Fields of Remembrance, where Menz Sheds constructed a white cross for each soldier and distributed them to their home towns.

At the service presided over by Featherston RSA's Dick Smith and Father Don Morrison, students laid the crosses in horizontal rows of four, with names facing the memorial.

South Wairarapa Mayor Adrienne Staples and deputy mayor Viv Napier attended.

Ms Napier said she organised the knitted poppies, roping in knitters and felters from Featherston and Greytown.

Mr Smith said it was the intention to keep the crosses in place until 2018, apart from necessary garden maintenance and mowing.

Soldiers from Wellington Company 5/7 Battalion attended, taking the opportunity afterwards to practise their drill for the Anzac Day commemorations this Saturday.