Last week I met Dolores Ho, the archivist at the Queen Elizabeth II National Army Memorial Museum in New Zealand. Dolores has a personal project which she funds herself and her vision is to place a cross made from NZ Flax on every NZ War Grave (The Dolores Cross, which is a simple-hand made New Zealand flax cross, is made as a tribute to the New Zealand soldiers who are buried overseas). The intent is that all of the NZ war graves have a little piece of home placed on them. A picture of the crosses she makes and one of her with a cross are attached.

The Dolores Cross was first placed on the graves of all 73 New Zealand soldiers in the CWGC in Cannock Chase, Staffordshire, UK on ANZAC Day 2008 and photographs of each taken. Since then she has received support from volunteers in the UK and NZ who are visiting war cemeteries and the list of graves with a Dolores Cross placed on them is growing. Dolores maintains a data base on the graves which have crosses placed on them and intends, funds permitting, to establish a website recording the project.

If there are any GWF members who would be prepared to place a cross on an NZ war grave and take a photo of it for Dolores, you can contact her on dolores.ho@nzdf.mil.nz

She will send you the appropriate number of crosses and an instruction sheet detailing the profile of the photo required for her data base.

Cheers
Chris

Many thanks to those who have contacted Dolores with offers of help. She contacted me today to say how pleased she was with the response.

Cheers
Chris

Chris.

What a great idea !!!

I have just sent her an email as I am certain many people will want to assist her.

Tony

Hi there, mines gone and a list come back for Yorkshire, just picking out whats the nearest, or not too distance from me, there's one already in my home town that I had previously photo'd but will do again once the cross arrives.

Cheers Roger.

So far I've managed Manchester Southern Cemetery, St Matthews Chadderton, Flookburgh Cumbria and this weekend I'm off with my daughter to do 6 cemeteries in Warwickshire, Wiltshire and Somerset.

Anyone help in Scotland?

I've just sent an e-mail.

Great Idea

Classic example of where the functionality of Geoff's search engine helps; call it up, select New Zealand as the Regiment/Corps, find your local cemetery in the pull down list (unfortunately not quite complete), and then search.

Better still if we could search by county/region/country!

David

I have made a start on doing my Yorkshire ones with some help from Kevin with the northern end of the County.

Cheers Roger.

Once you contact Dolores she sends you a list of cemeteries that still need to be done. Find out which ones are close by and Bobs your uncle.

Alternatively make a weekend of it. I'm taking my daughter to Stone Henge, Old Sarem and for a walk around Bath during our trip.

As Les found out once you have contacted Dolores and said what you are prepared to cover, then you receive a box of the Flaxen Poppies from the NZDF in London.

I was mighty impressed with the swiftness of the replies, I submitted 2 samples to Dolores just to make sure they where right for her, that was Thursday and received the answer back last night they are okay, so its onwards with the rest.

Cheers Roger.

Just finished a weekend of cross laying, me and my daughter had a great time and it's the first time we've ever been away on our own.

Have just placed my first cross this afternoon and emailed the pictures to Dolores. Hopefully they are OK so I can then continue with the others that I have promised.

Kev Loughnane

At present I am staying with Frans next to Essex Farm Cemetery and completed Messines Ridge Cemetery after spending a few hours yesterday and today taking photographs for Delores. Returning to UK tonight so I will process the photographs write them to a CD and post to Delores. I hope to do more for her, a worthwhile task.


John

Hi Kev

I have also been in touch with Dolores re the London area and have committed to the others within the M25 (thanks to helpful husband and a bus pass!). I've received my list and hopefully the postal strike won't delay the crosses for too long - they are being posted out today.

cheers
Judy

Judy,

It's good to see how many people are getting involved in this worthwhile project. I have personaly found it very satisfying so far (I still have a couple more cemeteries to visit), and I hope that you do too.

Good luck.

Regards,

Kev Loughnane

I have volunteered to do all the outstanding ones in Yorkshire, with the exception of Brandesburton which is a bit far away.

This is a very worthy cause and I am privileged to contribute.

Peter

I've been trying to do some but am struggling to get clear pictures. The stones are very worn and difficult to read despite soaking with water.

Does anyone have a good tip to help?

Andy

Hi Peter

Well said, I feel the same (as I'm sure the other volunteers do). I am pleased to say that the crosses arrived safely today.

Judy

Hi Andy

I know that in the instructions, Dolores says not to alter the image in any way, however I do know that in past photographs of worn headstones, my husband has used something in photoshop to really sharpen the inscription - I think it's called image, adjustment, shadow highlights (he's not here to ask at the moment) but this could be worth trying if you have Photoshop.

Judy

Thanks for that, Judy. Unfortunately I don't have Photoshop, so I can only do my best and photograph what's there.

Andy

I'm sure they will be fine Andy and Dolores will be in a position to enhance any images if she so wishes.

I know I am stating the absolutely obvious but I have had quite different photo outcomes with the same headstone in different types of weather - especially if the sun is shining on the headstone (and from which direction).

Judy

I'm slowly (but surely) completing 16 cemeteries around London. When speaking with Dolores' representative in UK just last week, he mentioned that help was still needed in some areas of Scotland (I don't know exactly where).

So can I echo the question above
Anyone help in Scotland?

Judy

If you have trouble with inscriptions another option is to carry a photogrphers reflector - which often folds down to be portable, but allows you to reflect the light to create (or destroy) a shadow.

Here is an example (on Ebay) REFLECTOR which has some useful pics to show how it folds down. Really useful for portraits of people when you want to remove facial shadows or provide a "golden glow" with the gold coloured reflector.

I have just seen this thread again. What a wonderful response. Many, many thanks to all those who have contacted Dolores. and offered to help her. The power of the GWF!!!

Regards
Chris

There are two cemeteries around Stranraer that need doing, Troon Cemetery, New Monkland (near Glasgow) but some of the others are very very far north and I mean far north!