4 August 2014 First student soldiers remembered at start of Lincoln University's WW100 commemorations

Lincoln University launched its involvement in New Zealand's First World War centenary commemorations (WW100) on Monday, 4 August, the anniversary of the date in 1914 when war began between Britain and Germany.

Assistant Vice-Chancellor (Communities), Professor Hirini Matunga, declared the start of the University's WW100 activities in a ceremony in the Library at which a heritage photograph of the first eight students to enlist for service overseas in 1914 was unveiled.

The large framed photograph, dating from 1914, was unveiled by Major Ian Barrett of the New Zealand Defence Force and University Library representative, Roger Dawson, a Senior Research Advisor. It will hang in the Library for the duration of 2014 and the Alumni and Development Office will try to trace descendants of the students and bring them into contact with the University.

Before the unveiling, military historian Bill Barnes of Lincoln explained the complex events in Europe that led to the First World War. Later, retired senior lecturer Vern Clark spoke of the impact of service in the First World War by staff and students on subsequent generations at Lincoln.

The students were Robin Tudor Barlow, Alan Wilson Duncan, Thomas Edridge, Richard Henry Kember, Leslie Ivan Manning, Christopher Musgrave, Alan Duncan Stitt, and Gerald Wilde. All except Manning, who had to withdraw because of illness, sailed from Lyttelton for Egypt on 16 October 1914, as members of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion. 

If any of the names are familiar to readers, please contact Lincoln University Heritage Writer, Ian Collins, phone 03 423 0010 or 021 024 49637.