Officers secure WWII remains

In mid-August, New Zealand Police officers serving in the Solomon Islands secured the remains of what’s believed to be two New Zealand servicemen killed when their plane crashed in the islands during WWII.

Staff on Operation RAMSI recently became aware of the crash site, near Kiu on Malaita Island in the Solomons, after a local Honiara resident told them his grandparents had found and secured partial skeletal remains from the vicinity of the crash site.

Five servicemen were killed when a Royal New Zealand Air Force Ventura bomber aircraft crashed and exploded on the island in May 1945.

At the time, an RNZAF party located the crash site and some remains which, after a ceremony, were buried at the site. Due to the nature of the crash, all the men were presumed to have perished. In subsequent years, further partial skeletal remains were found and secured by local residents in the area.

Solomon Islanders take part in the ceremonial handover of the servicemens’ remains.

Assistant Commissioner Jon White, Head of the International Service Group, Police National Headquarters, says once NZ Police became aware there were additional remains unburied near the site there was a desire to ensure they were properly taken care of.

Dubbed 'Operation Kiu', the remains were recovered by NZ Police from Malaita in mid-August.

A ceremony on the island marked the hand over of the remains which are being held in secure storage in Honiara.

Any decisions about where they will be finally interred will need to be made in consultation with the proper authorities.

Efforts are being made by Police and the New Zealand Defence Force to locate next of kin.

“We are very keen to identify next of kin, but as it has been 60 years since the crash it may take some time,” Jon says.

The names of the servicemen killed are:

• Flying Officer Keith Maxwell Graham
  D.O.B - 7 September 1924, Franz Joseph Glacier
• Sergeant Eric George Priest
  D.O.B - 22 May 1924, Thames
• Flight Sergeant Leo Parkes Marshall
  D.O.B - 5 July 1924, Raurimu
• Sergeant Melville Pascoe Lawrence Moxsom
  D.O.B - 17 November 1924, Morrinsville
• Sergeant Douglas David Read
  D.O.B - 13 September 1924, Kohu Kohu

Anyone with information about these men can email Peter Kemp in the Police International Service Group via Peter.Kemp@police.govt.nz

Superintendent John Rivers, NZ Police Contingent Commander

exchanges a gift with Peter Houkuru, Chairman of the Land

Committee, during the handover ceremony.