Military Veterans at Auckland War Memorial Museum

Auckland Museum and Institute (circa 1935). Front Row: A.W.B. Powell, L.T. Griffin, G.E. Archey, H.E. Vaile, R.A. Falla, C.W. Firth. Second Row: C.W. Dover, M.C. Cleland, Miss M. Porter, E. Leece, Miss L.M. Cranwell, F. Quayle, T.C. Hall. Third Row: E. Pierard, E. Purdom, W.J. Hawke, J.L. Davy, J. Stewart. Back: M. Holdsworth. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira (AM93 A891(13) size2)
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Since its inception in 1929 as a war memorial, the Auckland War Memorial Museum has stood as a living tribute to the service and sacrifice of New Zealanders. Its dual role as a place of commemoration and as a centre of knowledge has been shaped not only by its collections but also by the military veterans who have worked within its walls. From geologists to curators, taxidermists, librarians, educators, accountants, botanists, and ornithologists, their contributions have left an indelible mark on the Museum’s history.

Veterans contributed directly to the Museum’s commemorative mission, working as attendants in the Hall of Memories, cataloguing war histories, supporting researchers, and preserving taonga. Their work ensured that the stories of service and sacrifice were documented and accessible for future generations. Beyond commemoration, many veterans applied their skills in unexpected ways—leading educational programmes, advancing natural history collections, and deepening the Museum’s engagement with communities.

These contributions spanned conflicts from World War I to Vietnam. Together, these veterans left an enduring legacy that continues to shape the Museum as a living memorial.

These veterans have been identified from A Good Place To Be: Auckland Museum People, 1929–89 by Ian Thwaites (2015) and the Auckland Museum Annual Reports, available at archive.org.

If you know of someone who has worked or works at the Museum and is also a veteran, please contact us.

Results

Record ID	Family name	First names	Force	Wars	Service #
C37506	Angus	William Melville	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	5/111, 610771
180555	Archer	Robin Walter Wilkinson	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	35186, 397
C85902	Archey	Gilbert Edward	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	35513, 800508
202707	Armstrong	William Aitken	Navy	World War II, 1939-1945	NZD3858
191500	Bartley	Joyce Isbell	Air Force	World War II, 1939-1945	W4363
C144230	Bayliss	Trevor James	Air Force	World War II, 1939-1945
C76359	Betteridge	Samuel Morgan	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	36256
C39062	Brickdale	Edward	Army	World War I, 1914-1918, World War II, 1939-1945	10/1752, 437807, 800899
C36323	Buddle	Geoffrey Armstrong	Army	World War I, 1914-1918
C17209	Carter	Norman Edward	Army	World War II, 1939-1945	437387
C118087	Chandler	Ruth Lorraine	Army	World War II, 1939-1945	72006
C123041	Chappi-Hall	Thomas Aubrey	Army	South African War, 1899-1902, World War I, 1914-1918	3218, 50682
C121046	Clark	John Daniel	Navy	World War II, 1939-1945	C/JX329220
C40600	Clinkard	Sidney Eric	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	12/2977
C130145	Corbett	David Ashley	Air Force	World War II, 1939-1945	NZ4213816
292728	Crispe	Peter Raymond	Air Force	World War II, 1939-1945	4310874
223305	Culhane	William	Air Force	Malayan Emergency, 1948-1960	NZ77950, 77950
85165	Culley	Terence Neil	Army	Vietnam War, 1961-1975	210248
C41829	Davy	Joseph Leslie	Army	World War I, 1914-1918	12/82
174284	Day	Henry John	Army	World War II, 1939-1945	68325

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Cite this article

Passau, Victoria. Military Veterans at Auckland War Memorial Museum. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 12 December 2024. Updated: 18 December 2024.
URL: www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/popular-searches/AM-Veterans