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Otago Daily Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Statue to honour local war hero
An Oamaru war hero killed at the Battle of the Somme may finally take pride and place in his hometown. The New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA) plan to honour Victoria Cross recipient, Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown with a life-size bronze statue. Sgt Brown was the first VC recipient for heroism on the Western Front, and the only man from North Otago to be honoured out of 23 New Zealand VC medal winners. New Zealand Remembrance Army member Barry Gamble, who initiated the project, said the plan to build a statute of Sgt Brown was to pay tribute to a local and national hero. "It's all about recognition, honouring this man, who is a true blue Kiwi farmer, who spent most of his short life working the land and then bravely fought for his country." On the opening day of New Zealand's Somme campaign in France, on September 15, 1916, Brown charged and captured key enemy machine-gun positions, helping New Zealand forces to push through German lines. During another attack two weeks later, on the Somme front, Brown told his men to take cover and took two trenches on by himself, chasing the enemy down before he was killed by machine-gun fire at the age of 26, Mr Gamble said. The 1916 Somme offensive was one of the largest and bloodiest battles of the First World War (1914-18). The posthumous VC award for gallantry was presented to his father, Robert Brown in Oamaru by the Governor-General, Lord Liverpool in 1917. Mr Gamble said the statue would provide educational, cultural and commemorative value to the Oamaru community and visitors and preserve Sgt Brown's legacy for generations to come. "All the other towns have honoured their Victoria Cross winners with statues and paintings, why not Oamaru ... it's something that we can be really proud of." A former student of Waitaki Boys' High School and a Totara farmer, Sgt Brown was born in 1890 in Dunedin and moved to Oamaru with his family in the mid 1890s, where his father set up a successful drapery business and department store which was eventually named the Polytechnic. Making early sacrifices to enlist with the army, Brown sold his farm on Waiareka Rd in Totara, and gave away his dog, and his horse "and away he went", Mr Gamble said. Your Loving Son, Don, a book of letters he wrote home to his father from the war, was published in 1998 by Sgt Brown's niece Eunice P. Brown. In April, 1916 while stationed in Egypt he wrote about the comfort of his fellow soldiers from the Otago Infantry Regiment in the 10th North Otago Company and their plan to return home. "Its just great the number of Oamaru boys one finds here, and one and all are certain, old Oamaru is quite good enough for us in future." Mr Gamble said despite a photo of Sgt Brown in the Waitaki District Council chambers and his name on the honours board at Waitaki Boys' High School he had "largely been forgotten by Oamaru". "It's quite sad because we've got a proud heritage of buildings, and we've got some of the best memorial statues in the country, like the Hall of Memories." Mr Gamble has driven many projects to honour soldiers, including helping to restore the graves of former military personnel in the Waitaki district. He is also the Oamaru RSA local support adviser. The costing for the monument would be about $160,000, he said. Bob Brown, of Rakaia, the great-nephew of the war hero, was thrilled to be involved and donated $10,000 towards the project, Mr Gamble said. "They were really, really stoked that someone was wanting to do this and they're right behind me." Former New Zealand Army artist Matt Gauldie will be commissioned to create the statue. Gauldie produced a miniature paying close attention to details, at $2000 for the purposes of fundraising. "He's very clever ... a lot of work has gone into this to make sure that he's got all the right war equipment on," Mr Gamble said. NZRA put $1500 towards the concept plan and the Waitaki District Council are in support of the project, he said. Mr Gamble said they estimated the project would take a year and a half to complete and he will be seeking donations from the public and organisations. A final site for the public statue is yet to be determined. The Victoria Cross is the highest award in the British decorations system and is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British and Commonwealth armed services.
Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Statue to honour VC war hero
More than a century after his death at the Battle of the Somme, Oamaru war hero Sergeant Donald Forrester Brown VC is set to be honoured in his hometown with a life-size bronze statue. The New Zealand Remembrance Army (NZRA), led by local advocate Barry Gamble, has announced plans to commemorate Sgt Brown — the first New Zealander awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for bravery on the Western Front and the only VC recipient from North Otago. The Victoria Cross is the highest award in the British honours system, awarded for gallantry "in the presence of the enemy". "It's all about recognition — honouring this man who is a true blue Kiwi farmer, who spent most of his short life working the land and then bravely fought for his country," Mr Gamble said. Born in Dunedin in 1890 and raised in Oamaru, Mr Brown gave up his farm on Waiareka Rd, along with his horse and dog, to enlist in the First World War. A former student of Waitaki Boys' High School, he was serving with the 10th (North Otago) Company of the Otago Infantry Regiment when he was killed in action at the age of 26. On September 15, 1916 — the opening day of New Zealand's Somme campaign — Brown distinguished himself by capturing key enemy machine-gun positions, helping New Zealand troops break through German lines. Two weeks later, during another assault, he ordered his men to take cover while he single-handedly attacked two enemy trenches chasing the enemy down before he was fatally struck by machine-gun fire. In 1917, his Victoria Cross was presented posthumously to his father, Robert Brown, by Governor-General Lord Liverpool in Oamaru. Mr Gamble believed the statue would serve as a lasting educational and cultural tribute, preserving Mr Brown's legacy for future generations. "Other towns have honoured their Victoria Cross winners with statues and paintings — why not Oamaru? This is something we can be really proud of." Despite his name appearing on the honours board at Waitaki Boys' and a portrait in the Waitaki District Council chambers, Mr Gamble said Sgt Brown had largely faded from the town's collective memory. "It's quite sad. We've got a proud heritage of buildings and some of the best memorial statues in the country. "Yet his story is not well known." The estimated cost of the statue is $160,000. Rakaia man Bob Brown, great-nephew of Sgt Brown, has donated $10,000 towards the project. "They were really stoked that someone was wanting to do this, and they're right behind me." Mr Gamble said he will also be seeking donations from the public and organisations. Renowned New Zealand Army artist Matt Gauldie has been commissioned to create the statue. Mr Gauldie had already produced a detailed miniature maquette for $2000 to aid fundraising efforts. The NZRA contributed $1500 toward the initial concept plan, and the Waitaki District Council has expressed support. Mr Gamble, who has previously led efforts to restore the graves of former soldiers in the Waitaki district, expects the statue to take around 18 months to complete. A final location for the monument has yet to be determined. A book of letters Sgt Brown wrote to his father during the war was published in 1998 entitled Your Loving Son, Don , edited by his neice, Eunice P. Brown. In a letter from Egypt in 1916, he wrote of the camaraderie among Oamaru soldiers: "it's just great the number of Oamaru boys one finds here, and one and all are certain, old Oamaru is quite good enough for us in future".
Belfast Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Somme Society condemns removal of plaques by Housing Executive with PSNI support
Two murals were taken down from the West Winds estate in Newtownards on Thursday morning. One was a plaque commemorating the Battle of the Somme. The Northern Ireland Housing Executive said the removal was part of an initiative at 'improving the image' of the estate and said additional plaques were placed 'without permission'. In a new statement, the 1st Newtownards Somme Society has condemned the removal of the commemorative plaque and other materials, claiming they were the 'lawful property' of the group. 'This morning a range of lawful materials including but not limited to a plaque commemorating the battle of the Somme in 1916, which are the property of the 1st Newtownards Somme Society, were removed by masked contractors instructed by NIHE, with PSNI playing a merely supporting rather than active role,' the Society said in a statement. 'The tearing down of these lawful memorial plaques raises fundamental issues and has caused significant tension and anger in the local community,' it added. 'There was no community support for these actions. 'It is obvious the NIHE has taken an extraordinarily irresponsible step, and in doing so has placed itself in a position whereby this seemingly new policy- whatever it is- will now have to be equally applied in, for example, south Armagh, west Belfast and east Tyrone. "What begins with removing plaques commemorating the brave men of the Somme leads inevitably to tearing down union flags and/or other memorials." News Catch Up - Thursday 22 May A loyalist delegation is due to meet with the Housing Executive at its Newtownards offices on Friday afternoon, with the Society saying the return of the items 'must' happen urgently. The Belfast Telegraph understands the plaques were removed by masked contractors acting on behalf of the Northern Ireland Housing Executive, with support from the PSNI. 'Local officers were in attendance to support the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to remove two murals within the West Winds Housing Estate this morning, Thursday 22nd May,' confirmed a PSNI spokesperson. A Housing Executive spokesperson said: 'A new, community-led initiative improving the image of the West Winds estate in Newtownards is underway, with support from the Housing Executive. 'This involves the re-imaging of a number of paramilitary murals which have been replaced by local historical imagery and artwork reflecting the strong heritage and aspirations of those living in the area. 'Additional plaques were placed on our properties without permission, which were not part of the display installed by the community. 'These have been removed and we will continue to engage locally to provide a positive outlook for our tenants in this area.'
Belfast Telegraph
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Belfast Telegraph
Plaques placed ‘without permission' removed from estate by Housing Executive with PSNI support
Two murals were taken down from the West Winds estate in Newtownards on Thursday morning. One was a plaque commemorating the Battle of the Somme. The NI Housing Executive has said the removal was part of a new 'community-led initiative improving the image' of the estate. The Belfast Telegraph understands the murals were removed by masked contractors on behalf of the Housing Executive. 'Local officers were in attendance to support the Northern Ireland Housing Executive to remove two murals within the West Winds Housing Estate this morning, Thursday 22nd May,' confirmed a PSNI spokesperson. A Housing Executive spokesperson said: 'A new, community-led initiative improving the image of the West Winds estate in Newtownards is underway, with support from the Housing Executive. 'This involves the re-imaging of a number of paramilitary murals which have been replaced by local historical imagery and artwork reflecting the strong heritage and aspirations of those living in the area. 'Additional plaques were placed on our properties without permission, which were not part of the display installed by the community. 'These have been removed and we will continue to engage locally to provide a positive outlook for our tenants in this area.'
Daily Record
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
WW1 film starring Daniel Craig, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy is now streaming
This World War 1 film featuring a star-studded cast of Daniel Craig, Cillian Murphy and Tom Hardy is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video Before stepping into the iconic role of James Bond, Daniel Craig played the lead in a 1999 war film about the grim realities of World War 1. This little-known film saw the future secret agent co-starring with Paul Nicholls, as they lead a group of young British soldiers in the tense 48 hours leading up to the infamous 1916's Battle of the Somme. The brutal conflict resulted in an estimated one million casualties and more than 300,000 Trench, which is directed and written by William Boyd, features a lengthy line-up of actors - Julian Rhind-Tutt, Danny Dyer, James D'Arcy, plus pre-global success Cillian Murphy and Ben Whishaw. Interestingly, Ben Whishaw would go on to famously play Q opposite Craig in the last three James Bond movies - Skyfall, Spectre and No Time to Die. According to Movies Web, The Trench was Tom Hardy's first big on screen production where he played an uncredited soldier "carrying a rifle in two back-to-back scenes; just another face in a sea of soldiers." However, just five years later, Tom shared the screen with Craig in Layer Cake, a British crime drama, before they both skyrocketed to global success. The synopsis for The Trench, reads: "On the eve of a massive battle with the Germans, Sgt. Telford Winter oversees a company of British soldiers too young and naive to be properly terrified of their coming mission. Prominent among the recruits is Billy Macfarlane, a patriotic teenager who struggles to reconcile his homesickness with his sense of duty. "Meanwhile, their commanding officer, Lt. Ellis Harte, squirrels himself away in his tent sipping brandy and reading poetry." The Trench is now streaming on Amazon Prime Video, although the film has very mixed reviews. Some viewers have praised the film, giving it five stars for attention to detail. With one fan leaving a review on Letterboxd, a social cataloging website for films, stating: "My grandfather fought in this war! Though this is about British soldiers, it makes me wonder if he had similar experiences. These kids, and I do mean kids, went through way too much! I believe everyone should see this movie so they can get a glimpse of the reality of war." While another said: "A great film, it really showed what life like a soldier was in ww1 and not being fully death and sadness. I like how it has some jokes and humour." A third praised the director and actors, as they simply stated: "A well made and well acted film." Although not everyone was impressed with The Trench. On Rotten Tomatoes, one viewer confessed: "I expected more from this movie. It was boring, and the ending was very anticlimactic." Someone else angrily expressed: "Slow and boring, even with Daniel Craig and Cillian Murphy. Lack of plot, no character development."
