A North Canterbury's man's efforts to remember the fallen soldiers from his district has resulted in a touching roadside tribute in time for Armistice Day.
Richard Todd has erected individual plaques for fifty two soldiers, after noticing a numerical co-coincidence involving a row of oak trees line the road heading into Hawarden.
“I was coming home from town one day and with nothing to do and I counted the trees along the roadside here,” he said.
Mr Todd counted 53 trees and it gave him an idea.
“I'd recently read an article in a magazine and there were 52 fallen soldiers.
“I thought, ‘well this is too good to be true’.”
The trees were planted for decoration and beautification but Mr Todd decided to make them a living memorial, dedicating each tree to a fallen World War One soldier from the district.
Each comes complete with a concrete plinth and name plaque.
“If we can create a memorial like this and bring all these people together and finally recognise them, It's wonderful.”
Mr Todd used the extra tree to dedicate to the war horses.
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