LIGHT BRIGADE MAN.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1542, 11 September 1912, Page 6

LIGHT BRIGADE MAN.

SAW BALACLAVA. ROMANCE AT CHRISTCHURCH. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Christchurch, September 10. On Monday week lost, James Drysdnlo Wilson, 82 years of age, and ono of the , survivors of tho famous "Six Hundred," was quietly married in Christchurch to Miss Grnhaine Sime, who is only seven years his junior. This morning a "Press" reprosentativo went out to Sydenham and interviewed the pair. H 0 tound a tall soldierly-look-wg old man, who carried his fourscore years wonderfully well,-and an active ojd lady tenderly looking after hor newly, wedded husband. Mr " , Wi ]ii° n . wns ,)orn in Edinburgh, and came to Christchurch 53 years ago. Mrs. Wilson was born in Aberdeen, and came out hero 15 years ago. They explained why they had married. Before their marriage, they had lived next door to ono another, and, for tho last three and a half years, Mr. Wilson, who has been. Retting rathor foeblo in health, has been looked after by Miss Sinio (now Mrs. Wilson). As the houses which they lived in vera' very old, they had received notification that they would shortly havo to shift, and bo, in order that tho old lady might still bo able to look after Mr. Wilson, they decided to be married, the happy event being duly celebrated on Monday week. Mr. Wilson gave tho pressman an interesting account of his military advenhires. Ho joined the 10th Royal Hussars in 1851, and proceeded during the following year to India, where his regiment was stationed. He saw what ho style* "a bit of scrimmaging" out there, and, then, when rumours of a war with Russia began ■■ to thicken, ho (with two companions) wore dispateliod to the Crimea to take up ground for the regiment, which followed afterwards. When Mr; Wilson arrived in the Crimea, it was the eve of tho battlo of Balaclava, and ho is ono of the few survivors of tho famous Six Hundred. He rotaius vivid memories of that charge. Ho himself practically escaped unhurt, though ho had two horses shot under him. He saw further service in the Crimea, and finally liocamo orderly to General Wyndham, Commandant of Scbastopol, On tho declaration of peace, he went Homo to England, and, having three brothers in New Zealand, ho came nut to Christchurch in 1859, where ho has ■ resided ever since. ' He possesses three war medals—Hie Indian, Crimean, and Turkish. When the King (thon Duke of Cornwall and York) was in New-Zealand ho conversed with Mr. Wilson, and.said that he (Mr. Wilson) was a momber of his father's old ' regiment, the 10th Hussars, and that Mr. Wilson was tho first member of that command whom he had met during his •, tour of tho colonies. Mr. Wilson wns present at both, tho ■ Duke of Wellington's funeral in 1852 and Lord Raglan's funeral in (ho Crimea, he being ono of tho escort at the latter, pno of his most cherished possessions is a Book written on tho Crimean campaign Iby a member of tbo regiment. Only seven copies of. this book, he says, were I printed.