Good progress is being made with a community project which aims to preserve more of the memories about veterans who have been honoured with commemorative plaques in the Green Island Memorial Gardens.
''We're pretty happy with the way it's going,'' organiser Irene Patterson said.
There are about 150 plaques for returned servicemen and servicewomen, each with a rose growing alongside, at the gardens.
Project organisers are seeking photographs of those named on the plaques, to be used in a small publication that will be available on Anzac Day next year.
Mrs Patterson said about 115 people were individually named on the plaques.
Other plaques provided a more general acknowledgement to returned servicemen and women, through their involvement with various community groups.
About a third of the overall research work needed for the publication had been done, and photographs had been obtained for about half of the about 115 people named.
The preferred photos would be those taken during service years, in uniform, or in plain clothes if none in uniform were available.
The project involved ''a little bit of history'', and aimed to ''recognise and preserve the memories of the men and women who went and made life easier for us'', she said.
''It's quite important so that we have some record.''
As time went by, knowledge of the past could be lost, and it was important to gather and preserve what was still available, she said.
The group welcomed any photographs, stories or other information relevant to the project and had distributed a flier, with a list of the servicemen and servicewomen, to businesses and schools in Green Island, explaining the project.
Organisers now had most of the veteran information but there were still ''some gaps'' and they would welcome any details which could fill those gaps.
Mrs Patterson said there had been a good response from the community, but more information and photographs were still needed.
''If at all possible, come forward with photographs,'' she said.
Anyone with relevant photographs or information can contact Mrs Patterson at cpattsn@ihug.co.nz via email.
