William Garlick was born in Whakatane, New Zealand, on 18th October 1888. The oldest of seven children, his parents were Wiltshire-born Charles and New Zealander Maria Garlick. There is little information about William’s early life, but it is clear that by the outbreak of war he was working as a shearer in Gisborne.

William enlisted on 19th November 1915, and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. His service records show that he was 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall, and weighed 168lbs (76.2kg). He was noted as having black hair, brown eyes ad a dark complexion. He had a tattoo of an anchor on his upper right arm and a few boil scars on his leg.

Rifleman Garlick spent most of the next year training in the army camp at Trentham. On 25th September 1916 his unit finally left for Europe, and he set foot on British soil two months later. From Devonport, Devon, the battalion made its way to Sling Camp in Wiltshire. William was not to spend much time there, however, and within a fortnight he had fallen ill.

Admitted to the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital in Codford, Rifleman Garlick had contracted pneumonia, and this was to get the better of him. William passed away on 13th December 1916: he was 28 years of age.

Thousands of miles from home, William Garlick was laid to rest in the ANZAC extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford, not far from the medical facility in which he had breathed his last.

The early life of Edward Foster is destined to remain lost in the mists of time. Born in Sydenham, Christchurch, New Zealand on 16th May 1883, the only family connection available is Arthur Norman, a half-brother.

By 1916, Edward was working as a labourer and living in the British Empire Hotel in Gisborne. At this point, however, war was raging across the world, and New Zealanders were being called upon to serve their King.

Edward stepped up to play his part, and his service records confirm the man he had become. At 32 years of age, he stood 5ft 9ins (1.75m) tall and weighed 11st 4lbs (71.7kg). He had light brown hair, blue eyes and a fair complexion and, interestingly, his medical report notes that, while he was fit to serve, he was of very deficient intelligence. Edward’s papers also report that in around 1906 he had spent two months in a Wanganui prison.

Assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, Rifleman Foster’s unit set sail from Wellington on 19th August 1916. Their ship, the SS Aparima, would arrive in Devonport, Devon towards the end of October. Edward spent nearly three weeks of the of the voyage in the ship’s hospital, suffering from influenza.

When the brigade arrived in Britain, they were marched to camp in Sling, near Bulford, Wiltshire. Rifleman Foster’s health was still causing issues, however, and, on 10th November 1916, he was transferred to the No. 3 New Zealand General Hospital, near the Codford ANZAC base. He was suffering from bronchial pneumonia, and this was to take his life. He died on 14th November 1916, at the age of 33 years old.

Edward Foster was laid to rest in the new extension to St Mary’s Churchyard in Codford. Thousands of miles from home, he was surrounded by tens of his army colleagues.