The Shannon First World War memorial was unveiled on Anzac Day 1924. The concrete obelisk displayed marble tablets around the shaft that were inscribed with the names of 18 men who had given their lives (two more names were subsequently added) and 81 men who had also served.
A Second World War roll of honour with ten names was installed some time after the opening of the Shannon War Memorial Hall.
The monument also bears the name of a local soldier, Peter Rauhihi, who was killed in Vietnam on 24 November 1969.
In 2011, 'Adopt an Anzac' added four more First World War and two more Second World War names.
See: 'Unveiling ceremony', Shannon News, 29/4/1924; 'Shannon war memorial', Manawatu Standard, 28/4/1924, p. 6; Linda Fletcher, Horowhenua and the Great War, 1914-1918, Levin, 2014, pp. 103-111, 220-2; Linda Fletcher, Remembering ... Horowhenua and the Second World War, Levin, 2014, pp. 80-9.
Main image: Jock Phillips and Chris Maclean, c1986
Other images: Glennis Austin, 2005; Linda Fletcher, 2014
Text: Bruce Ringer, 2022