WAR VETERAN'S DEATH

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20030, 31 August 1939, Page 15

WAR VETERAN'S DEATH

COLONEL C. E. SPRAGG

FORMERLY OF GISBORNE ONE OF “FOUR COLONELS'” (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. The death occurred at Auckland yesterday after an illness of several months, of Colonel Charles Robert Spragg, aged 59 years, who until his retirement last year was a prominent territorial officer. Born at Dunedin, Colonel Spragg was a son of Mr. S. Spragg, chief of the Hansard staff. He studied at Lincoln Agricultural College and went straight from there to serve in the South African War with the 4th. New Zealand Rough Riders and, after the return of the regiment, with the 2nd battalion of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment. Subsequently, lie came to live in Auckland. In 1907 he went to Gisborne, where he engaged in farming. From then until 1920 he was well known as a breeder of Jersey cattle and was a judge at many shows. Until the Great War he was also Government meat inspector in the district. Service in the Great War Colonel Spragg left with the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force with the rank of cap-

tain as ship’s adjutant of the Orari and was, preparatory to and during the Gallipoli landing, staff captain and assistant embarking staff officer for Egypt. He served during the early months at Gallipoli and throughout the Sinai and Palestine campaigns with the 9th Wellington Mounted Rifles. He was wounded on three occasions. 1 Criticism of Defence Policy After returning from the war with the rank of major, Colonel Spragg continued serving in the territorial army with the Waikato Mounted Rifles. After spending a year on the reserve of officers, lie was promoted to the rank of colonel in 1934 and returned to the active list to command the Ist New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade. He was posted to the colonels' list when it was established.

Following the reorganisation of the forces, Colonel Spragg was one of the four senior officers of the territorial force who issued a manifesto in May last year criticising the policy enunciated by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, as inadequate. This led to the posting of the four colonels to the retired list and a lengthy controversy in which many organisations participated. He is survived by his wife, a son and a daughter.