Vandals wreck second war memorial

The Grahamstown branch of the Moths has called on residents who know what names were on two plaques commemorating military veterans to help them compile a new roll of honour.

Less than a month ahead of the annual Remembrance Day Parade, a bronze plaque commemorating fallen soldiers has been vandalised.

The plaque commemorated Grahamstown residents who died in active service, or were killed in action during World War 2.

According to head of the local MOTHS, Graham Gooden, a similar plaque on an identical plinth was removed months ago.

Gooden, whose title is Old Bill in the MOTHS (Memorable Order of Tin Hats), yesterday expressed shock at the news.

“The loss of the metal plate is one thing, but it’s the names that were on it that's the real loss,” Gooden said.

He said the Moths would be prepared to fund new plaques for the memorial – “but made of something that has absolutely no recycling value”.

Gooden appealed to any members of the public who had photographs or other records of the names that appeared on the plaques to contact the organisation.

Makana Municipality’s Ward 8 councillor, Brian Jackson, said he wasn’t certain when the plaque had been removed, but that he'd noticed it early on Wednesday this week.

He expressed outrage that what he referred to as a desecration had happened only a few weeks before the Remembrance Sunday parade.

Photo: Sue Maclennan The brick lying in front of this monument, one of two war memorials commemorating Grahamstown residents who served in World War 2, appears to have been used to chip away the plaster holding a brass plaque that served as roll of honour. The Moths...