Advertiser and Register (Adelaide, SA : 1931), Thursday 28 May 1931, page 13


WARRIORS OF THE EMPIRE

One at Sebastopol; Two Marched From Kabul to Kandahar REUNION OF NAVY AND ARMY VETERANS

Nearly a quarter of a century ago the Sooth Australian Corps of veterans came into being. It was composed of men who had seen active service in the wars of the Empire, and at the time of the world war the rules were relaxed to take in two or three veterans of

Allied nations who had fought in earlier wars of the countries to which they originally belonged.

In those days the parade state of the corps was considerable, but every year, when members attend the annual lun-cheon which tbe Commonwealth Gov-ernment tenders them, the numbers dwindle, and at present there are only 34 on the roll. Next Saturday the annual reunion, which will be attended by the Gover-nor, will be held at the Returned Soldiers' Club. In view of the interest centred in South Australia's "Old Brigade," a few particulars regarding the career of every man of the corps are given. Corporal George Ashby was a member of the Frontier Light Horse, and fought in the Kaffir and Zulu ware of 1877-8-9. He travelled the seven seas as a sailor; was a member of the London Fire Brigade, under Captain Shaw; was gold-digging in British Columbia; be-came an expert diver for the Harbors Board at Durban; and managed clubs in Natal. Of 500 men who made the assault on the Zulu stronghold at ZHLOBANE Mountain, over 300 went to their death. Corporal Ashby's life was saved by Sir Redvers Buller, for which, as well as saving two fellow officers on the same occasion, Colonel Buller, as he then was, received the Victoria Cross. Well-read, speaking French and Zulu fluently, the old warrior is an interesting raconteur.Lieutenant Lieutenant E. Bainbridge held a com-mission in the Cape Mounted Yeomanry. When Kreli, a Galeka chief in the Transkei Territory, attacked the Fin-goes and their British protectors. Sir Bartle Frere, the Governor-General, having gathered together a force, went to the Transkei, where he defeated and deposed Kreli. The following year.

1878, Sandilli, a chief, who had relapsed into barbarism after education, roused the Kaffirs. After some severe fight-ing they surrendered. Lieutenant Bain-bridge took part in most of the engage-ments, and was mentioned in dis-patches. Warrant-Officer W. W. Ball, formerly of the 10th Hussars, served in the Egyptian campaign, for which he re-ceived the medal and Khedive's Star On taking his discharge he came to South Australia, and entered the rail-way servioe, from which he recently retired. He served throughout the world war, and was awarded the Bri-tish war and Victory medals. He holds also the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal Plenty of Medals. Sergeant-Major W. Banning, M.M., is the most bemedalled man in the corps. He belonged to the King's Royal Rifles, and has seen more fight-ing than falls to the average man. After winning his spurs in Burma and on the Indian frontier, he fought through the Boer War. Then he settled in Australia. In the world war he served in Egypt and France. He was awarded the Military Medal in France on July 19, 1916, was woun-ded, and discharged as medically un-fit in 1917. He suffers a good deal from the result of his injuries, but is invariably merry and bright. Private Edward Barker (89), is a Maori War veteran, living at Millicent. Mr. Barker has not attended recent reunions. He belonged to the 14th Foot, and reached New Zealand in 1860. There he served under General Chute, and took part in the memor-able expedition from Wanganui to New Plymouth. He saw much fighting in the storming of pahs, and remained in New Zealand till the end of hostilities. After the war, detachments of the 14th were stationed at Hobart and Adelaide, and Mr. Barker was in the guard of honor when Sir James Fer-guson, the then Governor, laid the foundation stone of St. Peter's Cathe-dral. Lieutenant W. Pickard Black be-longed to the Royal Marine Light In-fantry. He fought in the Egyptian War in 1882. and took part in the bombardment of Alexandria by the British fleet, under Admiral Sir Beau-champ Seymour. Mr. Black enlisted on the declaration of the world war. Corporal W. Blake served with the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry in Egypt. In the 1882 campaign, among other memorable engagements, the regiment took part in the battles of Kassassin and Tel-el-Kebir. Two years later it was with the river column under General Earle, working its way up the Nile, in the hope of saving Gordon and Khar-toum. Captain W. J. Bell belonged to the King's Own Scottish Borderers. A good deal of his service was on the Indian frontier. After some years in the East, he went through the second Boer War. In 1914-15 he was sta-tioned in German New Guinea. Sergeant J. Booth was for long as-sociated with the King's Liverpool Re-giment. Egypt, Burma, South Africa, and France during the World War, kept Sergeant Booth busy. Naval Actions Recalled Mr. H. A. Braham, I.S.M., is one of the most popular members of the corps. Mr. Braham belonged to the Royal Navy, from which as gunnery instructor he retired. It is 66 years since he first saw active service, the occasion being the suppression of the negro rebellion in Jamaica. He as-sisted at the storming of Magdala, Abyssinia, in 1868, and took part in an expedition to Afghanistan, receiv-ing medals for both campaigns. Mr. H. J. Burton is another naval man who, on leaving the Royal Navy, joined South Australia's old gunboat, H.M.C.S. Protector. He saw service in the Egyptian War of 1882, and was at the bombardment of Alexandria and the defence of Suakin. Sergeant T. J. Butterworth, like Cor-poral Blake, belonged to the Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry, and served in the same campaigns in Egypt. Ser-geant Butterworth took part in the World War. Owing to ill-health he has been unable to attend recent re-unions. Corporal R. Creswell is another New Zealand veteran. Like Mr. Barker, he served in the 14th Foot, and partici-pated in the same engagements. Mr. H. Currell belonged to the Royal Navy, and served in Egypt in 1882. Corporal M. Fillimore had long as-sociation with the Cape Mounted Rifles. He saw fighting during the Basuto War, when Morosi, a Basuto chief, fortified an almost inaccessible mountain near the Orange River, and for nine months

defied the forces and artillery ranged against him. After the capture of the fortress, some hard fighting took place, and the rising was not stamped out until the Imperial and Colonial forces to the field totalled 15,000 men. Mr. W. Freeman, a Crimean veteran, is the doyen of the Corps. He is 101, and an inmate of Estcourt House. He was in the Naval Transport Corps, and witnessed the bombardment of Sebas-topol. He spent nearly two years in the Crimea, part of his time being spent on H.M.S. Abundance and H.M.S. Bruiser, being engaged in caulking, at which work he was an expert. His ship, the John Bowers, was several times under flre. Mr. J. Glazbrook belonged to the Royal Navy. He saw service with the Naval Brigade in the Zulu War, and re-ceived the medal for that campaign. The Brigade was composed of men from H.M.S. Boadicea, Shah and Tenedos, and marched with the relieving force to Ekowe. After the war the Naval Brigade was warmly thanked by Gene-ral Sir Garnet Wolseley. Sergeant H. W. Griggs served when ln the 9th Lancers as one of Lord Roberts's bodyguard on his march from Kabul to Kandahar. One of the Gordon Highlanders Warrant-Officer T. Hanley, I.S.M., is the secretary of the Corps of Veterans. He belonged to the Gordon High-landers, and had distinguished service. He was in the march from Kabul to Kandahar, and, like Sergeant Griggs, received the Afghan medal and the Roberts Star. He took part in the first Boer War, and was with his cap-tain (Sir lan Hamilton) when the latter was wounded at Majuba Hill. He fought through the second Boer War. Private H. Horne served with the Royal West Kent Regiment in Egypt in 1882. He received the Egyptian medal and the Khedive's star. Mr. E. Jennings ("Ned") is 85. He is one of the few men living outside the United States who fought in the American Civil War. He also served in the last Boer War, under Sir Red-vers Buller, and received the two South African medals. He was a member of the South Australian Naval Force for about 12 years. Private J. Kerr belonged to the Northumberland Fusiliers. His bat-talion went to India in 1866, and served with the Peshawur Field Force in Northern Afghanistan in 1878-9, with the force at Lundi Khotal, and in the operations on the Khyber line to 1880. Corporal G. Knaggs is another who served to the New Zealand campaign, and in the same company with Cor-poral Creswell and Private Barker. Lieutenant W. J. Miller belonged to the Royal Marine Light Infantry. His service was on the West Coast of Africa, "The White Man's Grave." There is no worse climate in the world. The convey to which he was attached had to keep the neighboring tribes in order, and tbe work was dangerous and unhealthy. Cpl. P. Nicholson is a typical artil-leryman. He has seen much service, Burma, Bechuanaland and South Africa claiming him in turn. During the siege of Kimberley, in the last Boer War, he was a gunlayer for "Long Cecil," which was built at the De-Beers workshops, by instructions of the late Cecil Rhodes. He had many nar-row escapes from death, and was awarded the Kimberley Star for his services, together with other South African and Indian medals. Few soldiers have had more dis-tinguished service than Lieut.-Col. J. K. Paul. D.S.O., formerly of the Royal Sussex Regiment. He took part in the Egyptian War of 1882, the Eastern Soudan in 1884-5, the Hazara Cam-paign of 1888, the 2nd Boer War, and the World War from 1915-17. He was awarded the D.S.O. for his services in the World War. Mr. J. Redan, a native of Brittany, France, fought for his country in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71, being attached to the Engineers. He came to South Australia in 1873. SERVED UNDER SIR EVELYN WOOD Pte. J. Reilly belonged to the 2nd Battalion of the Scottish Rifles, and saw service in the Zulu War in 1879. Under Sir Evelyn Wood they emerged with credit from the hard fighting at INHALOBANE, were hotly engaged at Kambula, and were present at the final battle of Ulundi, which completed the overthrow of the Zulus. Mr. E. Ritter was a member of tbe New South Wales Contingent sent to the Soudan in 1885. He took part in the advance on Tamaii, and in the other engagements at which the Australians were present. Cpl. D. Sadler was engaged with the lst Battalion of the Yorkshire Light Infantry when it took a distinguished part in the Afghanistan campaign in 1878-80, which included the capture of Ali Masjid. Sgt. A. Snow served nine years in the Leicestershire Regiment. When he took his discharge he went to the Cape, and as there was trouble with the Kaffirs in the Transkei, he enlisted. He fought throughout the campaign, and took part also in the war against the Basutos. Pte. J. West served with the Cold-stream Guards in Egypt in 1882. He took part in the various engagements in which that battalion participated, including Tel-el-Kebir and Kasassin. Srt. R. White served in the Army for about 30 years, his regiment being the 4th Dragoon Guards. He saw ser-vice on the North-West frontier of

India, in China during the Boxer ris-ing, and throughout the World War. Mr. W. R. Wright saw considerable service with the 7th Hussars, and had long experience in Egypt, where most of his campaigning was done. He is an old member of the corps.