Commemorative poppy taken
A commemorative poppy acknowledging the war efforts of a prominent Palmerston North general has been stolen, an act that’s left organisers of a remembrance project aghast.
The poppy on the road sign at the Russell St-featherston St roundabout was taken over the weekend.
Palmerston North advocate for the Poppy Places project Stephen Parsons was appalled by the theft on the eve of Anzac Day.
‘‘At a key time of the year, that someone would want to do something like that, is so disappointing.
‘‘After the effort a lot of people put in, I find it quite disrespectful.’’
The project recognises local war heroes through street names and the Russell St poppy acknowledged the World War I efforts of General Andrew Hamilton Russell, a Palmerston North man who was closely involved in the assault on Chunuk Bair in August 1915.
He later became commander of the New Zealand and Australian Division at Gallipoli.
Russell St was among the first six Palmerston North streets to have poppies attached to their signs for Armistice Day on November 11, 2015, acknowledging WWI stories and sacrifices.
A second crop of poppies was released in 2016 in nine streets around Awatapu College in honour of members of the 28th Maori Battalion who trained in Palmerston North in 1940 for World War II.
A further six street names were being researched for a roll-out of more signs named after Victoria Cross winners.
Parsons said he noticed the Russell St poppy was missing from the roundabout sign on Monday morning.
Roading team leader David Lane said the latest batch of street signs had the poppy embedded in the metal so they could not be removed, but the Russell St one was different.