The Thames High School First World War memorial was unveiled on 2 April 1923. The plain but dignified memorial column of Coromandel granite was set on the lawn in front of the High School building and inscribed with the names of 27 old boys of the school.
A roll of honour was also unveiled at the school on 13 February 1924. The ornate brass and oak tablet listed the names of 116 old boys from the school who saw active service during the war, including 27 dead.
A Second World War memorial plaque was also unveiled at the school on 8 October 1954.
Sources: ‘Thames War Memorial’, NZ Herald, 2/4/1923, p. 6; ‘School’s Honour Roll’, NZ Herald, 14/2/1924, p. 8; ‘War Memorial Plaque for Thames High School’, Thames Star, 24/8/1954, p. 5; Thames High School: The First Hundred Years, Thames, 1980, pp. 84-5; Thames High School, 1980-2000, Thames, 2000, pp. 4, 5, 84-5, 100; From Gold Mine to Firing Line: ‘The Thames’ and the Great War, ed. Megan Hawkes, Thames, 2014, pp. 92-3.
Images: Meghan Hawkes (ed) (2014) From Gold Mine to Firing Line: 'The Thames' and the Great War 1914-1918, Coromandel Heritage Trust
Text: Bruce Ringer, Auckland Libraries, 2014