military – Kapiti Coast Museum

Quiz – Identify The Dignitary

We have this photo in our collection and we would like to know who these people are. In particular the gentleman standing on the left wearing a traditional Māori cloak (korowai). We have had a few suggestions but we are not sure and we would like to hear your thoughts.

Here is some background… This photograph was among the possessions of a serviceman who returned from World War Two. It has been mass produced by a photographic studio based in Petone (no longer in operation). The returned soldier was very involved in rugby and his community and he ran a business in Petone.

The ink stamp on the back reads: Photocraft Studio Jackson St Petone Tel 61-607.

Please contact us if you know, or you think you know! Thanks.

Randolph Redding Descendants Receive Photos

One of the members of the Kapiti Coast Museum, had in her collection, a number of photographs of Randolph Redding taken at the time of the start of World War Two. She was keen to reunite them with members of the Redding Family and so we posted a blog here. Randolph was a Sergeant in the RNZAF during World War Two and was killed in action in the United Kingdom in 1943. He had no wife or children. It took almost two years, but the reach of the internet prevailed and the photos are now safely in the hands of Randolph Redding’s nephews.

Brass

We are still working hard at the cataloguing project and currently we are adding some of the smaller items to the military display which have, until now, been in storage. The badges require polishing and the results are quite sparkly – getting rid of many years of dirt is very satisfying.

There is a collection of ten ‘pips’ worn on the shoulders of an officer’s uniform. The more pips meant the higher rank. The picture (above) shows you a pip which has not been polished next to one that has.

Great results have also been achieved with a common NZ Military Service ONWARD badge (below). All these items are now available to view in our military cabinet.