To commemorate the Kiwi soldiers who fell in the Battle of Le Quesnoy about 120 trees have been planted by Whangamata locals on Wednesday.

On November 4, 1918, New Zealand soldiers used ladders to scale 18m-high ramparts surrounding the ancient fortified town of Le Quesnoy (pronounced Le Kenwah) which is in the north of France.

Whangamata locals Jill and Grant Peckham at the planting of 120 trees to commemorate the Battle of Le Quesnoy which was fought during World War One in 1918. Photo: TCDC

The planting was part of the Thames-Coromandel District Council's World War One Memorial Forest project and eventually a total of 18,166 native trees will be planted at sites across the Coromandel.

The planting took place on council reserve land near Durrent Drive and involved volunteers from the Whangamata RSA, Lions, and students from Whangamata Area and Opoutere schools

Also among those planting trees were Grant and Jill Peckham who travelled to Le Quesnoy about three years ago and saw the site of the battle first hand.

Grant says they felt compelled to purchase a tree to participate in the project as a way of remembering the 117 fallen Kiwi soldiers who were 'were a long way from home” when they died.

'As a kid I read the history of the official history of the First World War that my father was given,' remembers Grant. 'I read this book and I noticed the section about Le and have always been interested in it.

'About three years ago we went to Le Quesnoy up by the Belgium border and you could see where they scaled the ramparts.”

Two signature trees were planted at the site on ANZAC Day earlier this year and the remaining 120 trees were planted on Wednesday.

The Thames-Coromandel District Council say an official ceremony to mark the 100th anniversary of the conclusion of the Battle of Le Quesnoy later this year on November 4.

The next WWI Forest Planting Day is on Thursday 30 July at Hauraki Road in Coromandel town, from 9:30am to 1:30pm.

Austin Dyer and Bella Watt join Smart Environmental Head Landscaper Howard Saunders to plant a pohutukawa. Photo: TCDC

Whangamata Area School students, from left: Ashleigh Crofskey-Howse and Summer Cunningham, with Whangamata RSA members Cathey Stolte, Graham Gerrard, Robert Carr and President Geoff March. Photo: TCDC