Repatriated soldier to be welcomed home after 61 years
Repatriated soldier Alister George Buchanan’s journey home will end in Wallacetown at the weekend.
Preparations are under way for the long awaited graveside service of the Southland born soldier who died in Malaysia in 1957.
The family of repatriated soldier said it was special to be reunited with their loved one in Auckland.
Earlier this week, 27 soldiers who died overseas were returned home by an Air New Zealand flight. Families were then reunited with their loved ones.
The repatriation was part of the New Zealand Defence Force’s Te Auraki project, under which NZDF personnel and dependants were buried overseas after January 1, 1995, will be returned to New Zealand.
Buchanan’s sister Kathy Wright along with her daughter Karen Murcott attended the Auckland service and the family returned with Buchanan’s casket to Dunedin.
Murcott said it was a special moment for her mother to finally have her brother home. ‘‘It’s nice to know we have our family all together, it’s one way of showing our respects to him,’’ Murcott said.
Buchanan will be interned in a family plot in Wallacetown, Murcott said her late uncle will be buried alongside both of his parents and a niece. ‘‘Every time we’re down we’ll take flowers to Wallacetown.’’
Corporal Allister George Buchanan was born in Southland and joined the New Zealand armed services at a young age.
Buchanan served in Korea as well as Malaysia, he died suddenly while on deployment during the Malaysian emergency.
It is believed one soldier who fought alongside Buchanan in the Korean War will be in attendance.
Hope and Sons funeral director John Finlayson, who has known the family for some time, said he felt quite privileged to be a part of the ceremony. ‘‘It’s very special because the family have wanted to get him back but it wasn’t possible until now.’’
Awarua Returned Services Association president Ian Beker said it was ‘‘about bloody time’’.
‘‘It was well over due it closes a dark part of New Zealand’s history.
‘‘If you were able to walk on the plane at the end of your tour you got a free ride, if you were carried on in a box your family had to pay.’’
The association was doing the catering and forming a guard of honour for Buchanan.
‘‘We are proud to be involved were doing catering and guard of honour.’’
‘‘If you were able to walk on the plane at the end of your tour you got a free ride, if you were carried on in a box your family had to pay.’’ Awarua Returned Services Association president Ian Beker