Connections to Britain’s giant WWIkiwi span a century
struction. With the help of Clark’s niece, the late Dr Margaret Belton, Brown tracked down a cardboard box of Clark’s World War I diaries and photographs tucked away in a corner of a garage belonging to a family member.
A small brown envelope in the box contained 14 negatives of the Bulford Kiwi and Sling Camp in 1919.
The restored negatives became an important resource for the book.
Belton’s daughter Judy Fanselow is now in possession of the box, and is grateful to have a wealth of souvenirs documenting the Bulford Kiwi story and WW1 life.
‘‘There’s some amazing photos ... we’re very lucky.’’
In correspondence sent to relatives, Clark expressed his pride in the Kiwi, saying ‘with a little care and attention, this will last for all time’.’’
Brown’s research also led to another connection with the giant kiwi involving British officer Ian Foxley. In 1980, the Bulford Kiwi was saved from extinction by the British Army when the New Zealand Government relinquished its ownership.
The figure is now maintained by the British Ministry of Defence.
Foxley helped maintain the kiwi in the 1980s and early 90s. The retired Lieutenant Colonel is holidaying in Nelson. He and his colleagues spent many days maintaining the hillside during training for Arctic operations.
‘‘Our squadron commander wanted something to occupy the troops and he didn’t like the idea of this thing going to rack and ruin – he saw one of the ways to keep us fit over the summer was to get us to run up and down with bags of chalk to re-whiten the Kiwi.’’