His horse Bess is one of only four horses that returned to NZ after the war http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/memorial-bess-horse Bess was one of more than 1000 horses donated to the government for military purposes when the war broke out. The four-year-old black thoroughbred, originally named Zelma, was allocated to the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment and selected by Captain C.G. Powles, who renamed her Bess. She served him throughout the war in Egypt, Sinai, Palestine and France. After her return to New Zealand in 1920, Bess helped Powles perform his duties as commander at the GHQ school at Trentham and then headmaster at Flock House, an agricultural training school for the dependants of war veterans. Bess died on land near Flock House in 1934. Powles buried her at this site and erected the memorial.