Kiwis At War

Voices From The Past

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Sergeant Dave Gallaher (32513)

18,000 New Zealanders lost their lives fighting on the Western Front during World War One. One of those who made the ultimate sacrifice, was Sergeant Dave Gallaher captain of the 1905 "Original All Blacks."

"Dave was a man of sterling worth ... girded by great self-determination and self control. He was a valuable friend and could be, I think, a remorseless foe. To us All Blacks his words would often be 'Give nothing away: take no chances' ..."

Ernest Booth, member of the 1905 "Originals"

Dave Gallaher first saw action during the Boer War in South Africa. He enlisted again after the death of his younger brother, on 25 July 1916, at 40 years of age and was sent overseas.

After training in England he was sent to France and joined 2nd Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment 'in the field'. Despite his age he was extremely fit and often in the thick of action.

The morning of 4th October 1917 was no exception as the New Zealanders began their assault on Gravenstafel Spur. A thousand prisoners were taken in the attack for a gain of 1000 metres, in World War One terms, a success. But also at a cost the New Zealand Division 320 lives, including that of the former All Black captain, Dave Gallaher.

Severely wounded during the assault he was admitted to the No. 3 Australian Casualty Clearing Station, but died later that day.

Dave Gallaher is buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery, Poperinghe, Belgium. officially listed as 41 at his death, he was actually almost 44 years old. He had first lowered his age when volunteering to fight in the South African War in 1901. Since 1924, All Black teams playing in Britain and France have often made a pilgrimage to the site of his grave.

Dave Gallaher's passion rugby. He was selected for the All Blacks in the 1903 team to Australia. In 1904, he played against the British Team at Athletic Park and was appointed captain of the 1905 "Original" All Blacks for their tour of Britain & France. He was a rugged flanker and the team of 'Colonials' earned respect for their dazzling style and magnificent record (played 25 games, won 24, lost 1; points for: 747, against: 53). On his return he retired from the game and became the sole Auckland selector from 1906 – 1916.

His name lives on in the Gallaher Shield, awarded to the winner of Auckland's premier club competition since 1922 and a more recent trophy, the Dave Gallaher Cup, has been awarded to the winner of the first rugby test between New Zealand and France in each calender year since 2000.

Dave Gallaher was one of 13 former All Blacks to die during the Great War. 133 international rugby players, including the 13 All Blacks, died during the conflict.

 

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A Story of Bravery

11/774a Trooper Kenneth Anderson Bayne, Wellington Mounted Rifles

Kenneth 'Kenny' Bayne, originally from Tapanui had been a keen sportsman in his early years. He had played rugby for the Wairarapa Bush and was a member of the Konini Club. He had also won several wrestling matches in his late teens.

When war broke out, he was working as a Surveyor for the New Zealand Government in porangahau and he joined up on December 1914 with A Squadron, Auckland Mounted Rifles. After training at Trentham, he embarked overseas on 14 February 1915.

He arrived in Egypt on 26 March 1915 and began training at Zeitoun Camp after having transferred to the Wellington Mounted Rifles two days after arrival. On 16 April, he was admitted to the camp hospital with influenza and missed the intial landing at Gallipoli. Once out of hospital, he was shipped to Gallipoli and on 27 August 1915 suffered severe bullet wounds to the left arm which eventually led to the loss of use of that arm.

 

After being wounded, Kenny was shipped to England and spent time working at the First Southern General Hospital in Birmingham. In March 1916, he was admitted to the Convalescent Hospital in Hornchurch and after a period of time was employed in the Wellington Company Orderly Room. His wounded arm continued to give him awful pain and in early October 1916, the decidion was made to send him home.

On 18 October 1916, Kenny Bayne left Plymouth, England aboard the SS Ruahine and began the journey home.

On 25 November, as the steamer was about 120 kilometres from Pitcairn Island, a baby (Theodore Edward Auston) aged two years and 10 months, crawled through an unlocked porthole and fell into the sea. Kenny Bayne, who was leaning over the rail above the cabin saw the child fall and immediately jumped overboard to try and save the child. Illuminated buoys were thrown overboard and an emergency lifeboat was launched but neither Kenny nor the baby was recovered. It was stated that the sea was infested with sharks, some up to 4 metres long and more than likely both had been attacked.

Kenny was 28 when he died and as there was no body, he is commemorated on the Wellington Provincial Memorial and the "Kenny" Bayne Memorial in Pahiatua. An article entitled 'A Tribute form his Hornchurch Cobbers' can be read in the Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F. (28 February 1917, page 7).

His World War I KGV Memorial Plaque was donated to the National Army Museum in 1990.

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44 Trooper George Roland Bradford

Died of wounds, 28 December 1899

George Roland BradfordGeorge Roland Bradford was born in Sussex, England in 1870 and had served in the Grenadier Guards before immigrating to New Zealand in 1895. Once he was settled Bradford worked as a labourer and joined the local Volunteer unit, the Ohinemuri Rifles, where his prior service was recognised with his appointment as Battalion Sergeant Major. When the Anglo-Boer War began in 1899 Bradford resigned from the Ohinemuri Rifle Volunteers and was enlisted as 44 Farrier Private G R Bradford of No 1 Company, 1st Contingent, New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Following training in New Zealand, Bradford sailed with the rest of the 1st Contingent aboard the SS Waiwera from Wellington on 21 October 1899, bound for the war in South Africa.

The New Zealand Army's first ever overseas combat action took place on 18 December 1899 at Jasfontein Farm, Cape Colony, and it was here that George Bradford was wounded in action. While riding at full gallop under intense Boer rifle and machine gun fire Bradford was hit and was seen to fall from his horse, strike his head on the ground and then to remain still. It was assumed that George Bradford was dead. After the British and New Zealand troops withdrew the Boer's found Bradford badly wounded, but alive, on the battlefield and he was transported to the Boer field hospital at the Rensburg railway siding. It was ten days later that George Bradford died of his wounds, thereby becoming the first New Zealand soldier to be killed in action on foreign soil.

This Pattern 1896 leather ammunition bandolier, known as the 'Bradford Bandolier' was used as the badge of office for the President of the Boer War Veterans Association. Each inert round of ammunition is named to one of the past presidents of the association.

Bradford's Queens South Africa Medal is also on display.

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Sgt James McKenzie Boyle MM

24331 Sergeant James McKenzie Boyle MM, Otago Intantry Regiment, Killed in Action, 12 October 1917

James Boyle was born in New South Wales, Australia on 27 June 1881. His first experience of military service was in the Anglo Boer War as 348 Private Boyle of the 4th (Queensland Imperial Bushmen) Contingent, whereby he left for South Africa in June 1900 and after seeing action in the Cape Colony, Orange Free State and the Transvaal, he arrived back in Australia on 25 March 1901.

He then moved to New Zealand and began work as an Electrician in Wellington. At the outbreak of war, he enlisted and after a period of training he embarked from New Zealand on 23 September 1916 abroad the Troopship "Pakeha". After further training, he was shipped to France and once there, he joined 10th Company, 2nd Battalion of the Otago Infantry Regiment.

He saw a lot of action leading up to June 1917 and as a result of his courage, he was awarded the Military Medal. The citation stated:

"During the attack on Messines Ridge on the 7th June 1917, seeing some of the enemy in a trench to the right of the position his company occupied, he rushed into the trench and as they refused to surrender he cleared the trench with his bayonet. Later when both his platoon Officer and Sergeant were wounded he assumed command and by his gallant conduct under heavy shellfire set a fine example of cheerfulness to his men"                                                                                                                  London Gazette 16 August 1917

Further action was to follow in the coming months and on the 12th October when the 2nd Otagos moved forward, they were bogged down in the mud, stumbled across uncut barbed wire and finally (many of them) were cut down by German machine gun fire. Sergeant Boyle, a decorated soldier of Messines was one of those men and sadly, his body was never recovered.

Today his name is commemorated on the New Zealand Apse, Tyne Cot Memorial, Passchendaele, Belgium.

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