War Grave recognition

These two second cousins met for the first time today at the grave site of their great uncle Percy Hawken. The grave has been recognised after 99 years by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. In town doing the biannual  inspection on their behalf were employees of the NZ Ministry of Culture and Heritage. This is the first time for Percy and it is thanks to a cousin of these two who has himself since died that the grave looks as nice as it does.
Also there were the Returned Servicemans Association President, two members of the Motueka Historical Assn including myself, and the local newspaper.
The talking was left to these two after the official explanation and they talked as only family can even when they have only just met.

I wrote a whole lot more but when I tried to use the map the whole lot disappeared so any questions just ask.Or I might add later.

Percy Hawken joined up when war was declared August 2015. He served at the Dardenelles before contracting enteric Fever (Typhoid) and after months in hospital was discharged and sent home. He died soon after. He was the first burial that the newly formed Motueka RSA helped at.
Until recently there wasn't a procedure for submitting people such as Percy who served and died after returning home. The government of the time put a time limit of 1924 on such claims and whether the family didn't try to have him recognised as a war grave or he just slipped through the cracks that wrong has now been put right.
Many more claims are being looked at as a result of the large amount of research being done for WW1 Commemorations but it is a long drawn out procedure.