For years, Pou Maumahara volunteer Judy Owen had known of an extensive family archive of letters penned by May Officer, Judy’s great aunt,. With the assistance of the Online Cenotaph team, Judy has been able to share small pieces of this extensive family archive, allowing us insight into the life and World War II service of May in her own words.

For Merchant Navy Day, Grace Penlain remembers Leslie Francis Yates, the first known New Zealand seafarer to lose his life through enemy action during World War II, and reflects on the often overlooked service and sacrifice of New Zealand’s merchant seafarers.

Mike Mendonça MBE served with the New Zealand Supply Detachment in Mogadishu during New Zealand's contribution to the United Nations Operation in Somalia in 1993. Adapted from his published reflections, this article recounts the experiences of New Zealand personnel serving on a United Nations humanitarian and peacekeeping mission.

Nearly 100,000 New Zealanders served in World War I. Among those called to service were many conscientous objectors, men and women who were avowed pacifists. One of those was John Henry Bennett, but who was he?

The final Lest We Forget poetry competition took place on Anzac Day 2026. For 20 years, the competition has provided a way for our community to pause, reflect, and mark Anzac Day together. Befitting the final year, the theme was He Ara Whakamua – Pathways Forward, inviting writers to look toward the future as well as the past. Here, our finalists read their winning poems.

Prompted by a son's search to better understand his father, this article traces the life of Spencer George Smith, a Merchant Navy engineer who served on wartime convoys. He survived a torpedo attack and sinking, returned to New Zealand after World War II, and died young in 1954, leaving a record shaped by service and family recollection.

Written to accompany a photograph by Laurence Aberhart, Martin Edmond’s essay reflects on the Hall of Memories at Waitaki Boys’ High School as both a working school space and war memorial. The image, gifted by the Waitaki Old Boys to Auckland Museum, reinforces the Hall as a place where memory endures in the absence of those commemorated.

In 2009, Noelene Hughes travelled with her whānau from Australia to Gallipoli and Lemnos to fulfil a vow to visit the grave of her uncle, Private Pareiha Tuati (David Apanui Stewart). Their journey reconnects whakapapa, wartime diaries, and family memory, honouring the Stewart brothers and their enduring legacy across generations.

Wikitoria Te Huruhuru Whatu (1912–2006) of Ngāti Toarangatira was the first Māori Red Cross WAAC member to serve overseas during World War II. Serving in the Middle East and Europe, she cared for wounded soldiers, especially the 28 Māori Battalion. After the war she continued community welfare work and was awarded the Queen’s Service Medal. In collaboration with Wikitoria’s whanau, and drawing on letters, diaries, and family memories, we share her story in honour of International Women’s Day 202

As 2025 comes to a close, we look back on a year shaped by connection and continuity. Online Cenotaph, grounded in its role as a living memorial, continued to bring people together across Aotearoa New Zealand and beyond. Whakapapa research, volunteer mahi, digital contributions, community events, and record enhancement all contributed to another significant year.

This article is the first in a two-part series on Red Cross support for New Zealand prisoners of war during World War II. Part Two looks at medical care in the camps and the work of the New Zealand doctor Dr John Borrie.

This article is the second in a two-part series on Red Cross support for New Zealand prisoners of war during World War II. The first explored the power of connection through letters and parcels; this post turns to medical care and the work of New Zealand doctor and POW Dr John Borrie.