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3763 Honourable Captain Bandmaster Frederick BOWES B.E.M.

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  So Anzac Day has appeared again.  Always an emotional day for a lot of us on this side of the world. As usual, I visited a cemetery to take photographs of family memorials (not my family) mentioning loved ones buried where they fell overseas and often walking through other sections headstones/plaques catch my eye.  Frederick BOWES resting place was one of these.  He appeared to maybe have something to delve deeper in to. Frederick was a bit of a sharp shooter!  A sportsman whose achievements which included representing New Zealand have been lost to time as well as his notable talents as a cornetist and trumpet player who was a founding member of and played regularly in the Auckland Municipal Band and who was highly respected. On 28 March 1935 this article appeared in the Auckland Star RIFLEMAN ENTERTAINED. "Mr. Fred. Bowes the King's Prize winner at the recent Dominion rifle championship meeting, who is a member of the Auckland Municipal Band, was tender
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Making connections - the s.s. Tainui Disaster

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I snap thousands of grave and memorial photos.  Of course sometimes they 'ring bells' in my head as the various facts come together during research.   New Zealand is a small world after all and  lives of those who have crossed each others paths for some reason or other does happen. Here are a couple that have that connection and one of them, Charles WILLIAMS provided a few surprises. The s.s. Tainui Disaster [32] The Tainui which was a wooden cargo vessel, was carrying a load of benzine that it was ill equipped to do so.  The inevitable happened, she exploded near Shag Rock on the Canterbury Coast, off Gore Bay in North Canterbury and all but 1 of the 9 crew were drowned on 16th September 1919. [1] Excerpts from Paperspast well cover the story. Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 7221, 17 September 1919, Page 5 Lifeboat Capsizes when Launched The Tainui went ashore about four miles North of Gore Bay, the spot being marked by clouds of black
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