A GALLANT OFFICER

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2387, 17 February 1915, Page 6

A GALLANT OFFICER

Major g. s. Richardson's promotion. (By Ireiegrapii—Pretiß JLsaoelatlon) Auckland, February 15. Major A. A. Corrigan returned to New Zealand by the Riverina. Leaving Wellington on July 1, he visited Montreal :and England oil private business. In London he was attached to tho Naval Brigade, and was gazetted as. major ui the Royal Marines, which afterwards became the Royal Naval Division, and consisted of a force of 24,000 men. who were afterwards to be available for Kitchener's army if required. Iu 'the meantime they were placed at the disposal of the Admiralty. The organising of that division was carried out by Major G. S.'Richardson, of the New Zealand Staff Corps, and he was afterwards mentioned in dispatches for his ' very brilliant services at Antwerp, being promoted to the rank of Lieuten-ant-Colonel. "I know his services are very highly appreciated by the Admiralty," stated Major Corrigan. He spent an exceedingly strenuous time, and has fully exhibited the military capacity which he was regarded to possess when in New Zealand., I have heard of his splendid work in Antwerp. In the confusion' resultant upon the crumbling of the defences, 'Colonel Richardson stood out in a very marked way. I heard from one of the staff that he arranged the retirement of one brigade whose salvation seemed hopeless. He stood by the brigade near the burning oil-tanks, and his coolness and extraordinary facility in the handling of men resulted in the bridge being kept open for the passage of the troops, much loss of life being thereby prevented. Ho was a staff officer of General Parris, who had been in command of tho brigade. He was seeu trudging along the route of the retreat carrying on one shoulder a bundle belonging to a Belgian refugee imd a Belgian child 011 the other. A motor-car at his disposal was crowded with Belgian women 'and children. The Colonel's hearing suffered from the fearful effects of tho bombardment of Antwerp."