It is with sadness that I learned of the passing of Alan Bines. I met Alan many years ago after an Anzac service at the RSA. Although Alan was a navy man, my interest in research was about the army; researching two great uncles who never made it home from WWI.
Alan was only too happy to point me in the right direction. He was dedicated as the curator of the RSA museum and also organised Poppy Day. He encouraged me to become a volunteer to sell poppies, which I did - along with three of my friends.
Such a lot of fun and banter we shared with Rotorua folk, and visitors on Poppy Day. At that time I never gave it much thought about the pins in the poppies. I was to learn that every year Alan and his wife, Joyce, spent many hours putting the pins in thousands of poppies.
Hoping to repay him for his many kindness, I took up the challenge to be a poppy pinner and, after a couple of years, I managed to persuade several of my friends to take a box each.
For many years Alan also designed the covers on the Anzac service memorial programmes; very poignant scenes graced the covers, and with the Roll Of Honour naming those who were killed in action, what a treasure for the families.
