BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER May – June 2026
Our latest Bugle: Volume 40 number 1 is now available.
Hi everyone. It is that time again when I bring members up to date with things that have been happening,
“THE BUGLE”
I hope people have found it more convenient to access The Bugle when it comes attached to this newsletter. We will also continue to load it onto our website where it can be accessed with the complete set of magazines. These magazines are a wonderful resource of information telling the Fencible story and also provide a wonderful record of our Society. The first 25 years have been indexed and over time we will add further indexes.
WEBSITE/DATABASE UPDATE
The website continues to be generating a slow but steady increase in membership as can be seen by the number of names recorded in the Member Interest List on the back page of The Bugle. As we get close to the end of the financial year we recommend people hold joining until the start of the new financial year so the numbers are fewer this issue.
The number of individual names on the database continues to grow and has now almost reached 90,000. This is an increase of almost 2000 additional individual names since our last newsletter. We are currently reviewing what other material we can upload to assist people doing research.
Fencible dossier data input
Adding new family members, with supporting documentation continues. While it is time consuming it often means greater information is added. I am currently half way through the letter M. Some members have got back to me with corrections and additional data to be entered. This does take priority as information supplied by new members when they submit their Fencible Family sheets gets added. It pays from time to time to check your soldiers records for possible new information.
Empire Veterans: Finding names for previously unrecorded vets, new family members and supporting documentation continues. Paperspast proves to be a wonderful source of new information for these men. The potential future growth for our database is significant as we grow membership of descendants from these men whose names are now included on our database.
Correction: Garrison World – Redcoat Soldiers in New Zealand and across the British Empire by Charlotte MACDONALD was nominated for the Best Illustrated Non-fiction category for the 2026 NZ Book Awards and did make it into the final. It was great to see this aspect of our history recognised.
Comng Events
AGM (27th June 11.00 am to 3.00 pm). Panmure Library Pilkington Rd. See details in the latest May- June Bugle.
Garth