Descendants sought for two WWI soldiers identified in Belgium
Friday 10 October 2025 · 2 outlets · 2 reports · updated In this story New Zealand Defence Force
The defence force is searching for the families of Sergeant Thomas Smith and Corporal Thomas Nigel McFarland. The two machine gunners were killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. Their final resting places have recently been confirmed through research involving volunteer historians and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.