Oldest War Veteran

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 30, 19 February 1937, Page 7

Oldest War Veteran

TI.

Ikwin,

(To the Editor.) B.ir, — A paragraph in to-day 's HeratdTribune under tbe above titie states that a Mr- G. Asb, believed to be tbe oldest war veteran, dicd at Plymouth to-4av at tbe age of 85, having euli&lod in 1914 vviien 63 years old, and baving foughl lii tho Zulu War of 1879 and in Jigypt *ln 1882, being awarded the Klicdive Star and Egyptian Mcdal for the latter campaign, It may interest sonio of yoiir readtrs to know that tbere were at least two recruits in Trentham, cx-Imperial Army men, who aiso enlisted at about tbis

age, anS wbo bad tbe Khedive Star and Egyptian medal, sq that if still nlive cannot be far short of tbe 55 yehrd at wbich tbis vetQrab died. At any 4atfy the New Zealand Expeditionary h'prco ean boaM of two bbrdy veterabs lri itft ranka, both in tbeir pqventb decn(4e. Tbe two men were known by ibyaclt, who can vouch for tbe aceuracy pf this statement, One of !thefee men alao, like bis English confrere, became a eergeant and served in Egyjit, being encamped witb me a£ Tebe|-Kebvi, As tbe old f ellow nad takou paft in tbis wonderful battle, and ib tbe famdu« night marcb acros? tbe desert, He wai in one of tb'e Highland regimdiit^, 1 was fQrtunate "ejiougb to hfebr frjin Je|ni tipa on the spot a grapbic description of the fight, which Was - easy to i'ollow, as tbe trencbes occUpied by tbe Egyptians, on the parapet oi wbicb w(l stopd, were in excfellent preservation. Tbesq ontreuQhnmbt© ' attackad av dawn on September 13, 1882, ^kn/i cbf1 Tied witb tbe bayonet, ai'tCr bait an hour's berce hand-to-hand flghtibg. Tbe mention of the Zulq bampaigu, in the account of Mr. Ash, rebiinds mc tbat I aiso heatd at brst band an account of the most disastrous battle oi that war, that of IsandhlWdha, January 22, 1879, from ohe wbo only e'scaped that massacre by being tbat day with Lprd Cbelmsfordk force a. few milet» away, Out of '883 Bfitisb trodps, escluding nativa lavtas^ only 51 ©Sc&pod . tbe Zulus' assagaia. The nameB of tbe two veterans mentioned 1 cannot rdmember, ttpa pressurO of work prevents refefebce "td my War diaries. Perbaps oue df your numerous otber returnea eoidier rpadera cbuld give furtber detaila about thenp— Yours. etc..

Tikokino, Feb. 18, 1987. *