WW1 enquiry: 23215 RQMS G T Stagg

Good Morning,
I wonder if you can point me in the right direction. 15 years ago I bought a pocket watch. I was told it was a WW1 army issue pocket watch. On the back of the watch is a stamp E.C.6673 with a little arrow above. 
On the inside the owner has scratched his details. It looks like:
---No 23215
---RQMS G T Stagg
---RNZA NZEF
As soon as I saw this it gave me shivers to think that this was that person writing and I fell in love with it. I have been meaning to find out who it belonged to. I would love to find out about this person. As the numbers mean very little to me I wanted to find out what they were so it may give me more of an idea on how to find him.
Kind regards, many thanks.
Amanda.

I have referred Amanda to NZDF Archives, Archives NZ and RSA Review. If you have something for her, please email her.

Help to build the memories

The Ministry for Culture and Heritage's (MCH) Vietnam War website is recording memories of New Zealand and the Vietnam War. They want to encourage you to think about posting a memory, together with any memorabilia (for example, photos and newspaper clippings) you may have.

---To give you some ideas, here are some examples of the memories and images which have been contributed to the website: 

Sister Claire Jacobson

Painting the Qui Nhon Hospital

All in the Family

SonofVBBrown's Gallery

---You can also comment on memories and images posted on the website.  Here's an example relating to a feature about the 1RNZIR Band tour to South Vietnam in 1969.

---You may also be interested in the BBC WW2 'People's War' website which was a major inspiration for the Ministry for Culture and Heritage's Vietnam War website.  The BBC gathered 47,000 stories and 15,000 images between June 2003 and January 2006.  You can see an archived version of the project website here.

---Please get in touch with MCH (below) if you need help with submitting a memory or have any queries about the website.  If you know of others who may be interested in the website, it'd be great if you could let them know.

---The website is not the only means of contributing though. As part of the research for this project, MCH is looking for people who are willing to complete a written questionnaire about their experience of the Vietnam War and the time that followed.  This is an opportunity for people to share what they remember from these significant years in our history.  The questionnaires are one of their tools for recording the stories of New Zealand's Vietnam War veterans and their families, and are an important part of their information gathering.

To contribute, or to get information about the project, contact:

Gareth Phipps

Website Content Officer

Vietnam War Oral History Project

gareth.phipps@mch.govt.nz

www.vietnamwar.govt.nz

'All you ever wanted to know about Viet Nam'

Stephen Randall and Harry Akarana both passed this along because it is probably the best search list ever compiled about the Vietnam War.

This simply has to be shared with anyone who ever served in Vietnam or knew someone who served in Vietnam. 

It would take months to look at everything this site offers. Somebody went to a lot of effort here - it's one of the most complete sites to date. Click here

[Sadly, the only link to NZ takes you to the Cessna O-2 Skymaster (Model 337) - click here.]

Re-inventing the wheel

From Kim McGrath:

How about this for an idea! And how does it work?

ALERT FOR STOLEN MEDALS!!!

On Monday, 19 Jan 09 burglars raided the rural Tauranga home of Janet Ross (Widow of Alistair Ross, RNZA) during daylight hours while she was at work. The Police found no finger prints or other identifiers and said the MO was that of professionals. They stole a lot of jewellery and other valuables (some of it very valuable and most of it of considerable sentimental value including heirlooms going back several generations).

They also stole Alistair's medals. Alistair's medal set included the two original Vietnam medals and his Long Service Medal. Janet said she had not yet applied for Alistair's Operational Service Medal or NZGSM (with clasp Vietnam) so at least they weren't there to be stolen. Her brother John Mills will be applying for those and getting replacement medals on Janet's behalf. Recovering the stolen medals could lead to recovering other stolen property and possibly help the Police to apprehend the thieves.
Alistair's Vietnam Service Medal would have been engraved with his personal details B372141 Lt (or Capt?) A. D. Ross, RNZA and his LSM would have been engraved B372141 Maj (or Lt Col?) A.D. Ross, RNZA.
Many thanks
Chris Mullane

__________________________________

Please pass this on to anybody & everybody and other networks including any collectors or medal mounters you know of.

Photos, Viet Nam 1966

I have placed my collection of Viet Nam slides from 1966 in the Photo Gallery (right-hand column >>>). They need editing to cull the worst of them, to improve their quality and add captions, but you'll see many that are OK and self-explanatory.

BLAST . . .

Teach Macown has sent some searing pictures of a big OOPS! caused, supposedly, by a posthole-borer - a mighty long one if so.

Which kind are you?

In the world of computers, there are only two kinds of people: those who need help, and those who provide it . . . MORE

Constitution & Rules approved

Click the new permanent link, in the right-hand column, to reach the Constitution and Rules approved by the Special General Meeting on Thursday 15 January.

Note that the numbering system does not exactly follow the print version, as the on-line service uses only decimal numbering for sub-paras. Some paras are also misaligned.

Christmas at sea, 1950

Tony Tustin remembers Christmas 1950:

I have sent a copy of K-Force's 1950 Xmas Menu, aboard the SS Ormonde en route to Korea. You will find the sigs of Lt Col Moodie, Maj R .Webb, Maj Pat Parr (padre), Maj Arthur Roxborough, Lt Murray Allerby, Capt (Hag . . . MORE

Moving right along: Shay Bassett

Just a quick note to let you know that I am posted and will be finally leaving the sunny North Shore for Upper Hutt (Trentham housing area - yay!).

Artillery Quotes 2

Bill Roche has signed in with some more good gunner quotes - read them here.

Elsie Boyd's funeral arrangements

BOYD, Elsie Mabel (nee Harris). Passed away at North Shore Hospital, on 10 January 2009, aged 89 years. Wife and companion of Allan. Stepmother of Murray. Sister and sisterinlaw of Ethel and Percy Tetzlaff, Jan and Ron Harris, and sister of the late Fred. Aunty to nieces and nephews, and Nana to grandchildren.

----Many thanks to the St John Ambulance Service and staff of Ward 10 who showed every consideration. 

----A Funeral for Elsie will be held at the Chapel of Tilton Opie & Pattinson New Lynn on Wednesday, 14 January at 11am, 3232 Great North Road, New Lynn, main carpark (off Fruitvale Road), followed by Private Cremation. 

Elsie Boyd's funeral

I have spoken with Allan this evening and he says Elsie's funeral service will take place on Wednesday - details in the NZ Herald on Monday.

Allan Boyd's sudden loss

Sadly, on the heels of Allan's birthday wishes, comes the sudden news that his wife, Elsie, passed away this morning, ending a very long partnership.
Elsie's funeral service is likely to be held on Monday, followed by private cremation.

Happy Birthday, Allan Boyd!

Let us all join in wishing Allan all the best on the occasion of his 90th birthday, today. There  can be few who have not met Allan or been affected by him over the past 60 years - if only by that infectious laugh!
Best wishes from all your fellow gunners, Allan.

15 Jan 09: Special General Meeting

This post is to remind you about the Special General Meeting, 1100 hrs, 15 January 2009, at Ranfurly Veterans' Centre Recreation Hall, 539 Mt Albert Road - Wallace Ave entrance.

---The agenda is to discuss and resolve proposals to amend our Rules to:
1  Become a registered charity
2  Simplify and strengthen audit and management procedures
3  Clarify and extend membership rules
4  Tidy up administrative matters.

---We need a minimum attendance of fifteen Full Members to be able to conduct business. Please show your support for your committee by being there.

Read MORE . . .

All in the Family

From Neil Bradley:
I served two tours to Vietnam with 161 Bty. I have found the reality that most of your lasting memories are formed on your first tour. I started out as a Forward Observer (FO) taking over c/s 32 from Jim Dreaver and quickly found that the FO Party is MORE . . . 

More on 16 Field's arrival in Korea

Happy New Year to all Gunners past and present from Tony Tustin:

The first of January was the anniversary of the arrival of the Ormonde in Pusan and the first day ashore in Korea for the Regt. The first time we had seen helicopters which came out to MORE . . . 

Artillery Quotes 1

Thanks to our regular contributor, Kim McGrath, for a great collection of absolutely true (and truly modest) statements about the Artillery. To read them, click here or on the header.