Public Contributions:

In May 2005, My wife and I drove from Charles de Gaulle airport one morning to visit Chantilly and its beautiful chateau. In the afternoon we visited Gerberoy. one of France's 'Plus Belles Villages'.... We were welcomed into our B & B accommodation in the tiny hamlet of Bellefontaine, a few kilometres away. Our room was an ancient converted stable. Despite the cool and only partially sunny weather, we felt enveloped by the beauty of the farmland and were in awe of the ancient and beautiful buildings we had admired. We went to sleep very tired and totally in love with rural northern France. The next morning we woke to blue sky, dew on the grass and photographs begging to be taken. Our mood was high after a lovely breakfast and the feeling of more adventure ahead. But we felt the weather and the countryside losing its sparkle as we drove northeast into the area of many horrible battles. We began to pass beautiful memorials, often very grand, and vast areas of white tombstones. Subtly the countryside lost its charm and we saw so were in a mood as sombre as the weather. The cemetery was immaculate, the many hundreds of rectangular tombstones with rounded tops gleaming white. Beautiful flowers, mostly red, fronted each gravestone. We were really impressed by the elegance, the beauty and the neatness of this special place. Using the map within the arched entranceway, we walked across smooth and weed-less lawns to our destination. Roland George Powell was a great uncle, the brother of my Dad's mother, my lovely Nanna. She lost him when she was at primary school. My Dad (who had recently died) never met him. I think that I'm the only family member to make the trip across the World to visit his grave. It felt special to be there. We planted a small New Zealand flag beside the red flowers. I told him about my kind and cheerful Nanna, my father and my family. My eyes threatened tears as I said "Thank you" to him. As we left, I looked around this somehow beautiful place, which displays the respect and gratitude that the people of France and New Zealand. I'm proud of my great uncle Roland. Read More

There is a memorial to Great Uncle Roland (R G Powell) on the memorial wall in Bolton Street, Orepuki, Southland.