BRITAIN’S OLDEST MAN

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1924, Page 4

BRITAIN’S OLDEST MAN

ACE Cl YEN AS 11 i YEARS. An inquiry as to who i- the oldest survivor in Britain ol the Crimea has f'iii ii.-d a reiuarkabie story ol an old s ddier who, ii he is correct in stating the date of his hirlli, must: now be not only the oldest veteran of the British Army, bill probably the oldest man in the kingdom. Air James Carroll resides at Cornmarket street:, Birr. Ireland. He was, he say-, horn oil March 11. IsOf), in tlm parish of St. Kievans, only a few miles away from where lie is now living. If this lie correct, he is now 111. Whether ho is I I f or not. lie is certainly very old. But. despite his age, he is still vigorous and in possession

of all Ids faculties, except that lie somewhat deal, and his memory is not so good as ii used to be. He served in the old llih Foot, and is a member of the Old Comrades’ \s. soeuiU’on of the West Yoi k.-hire KeMment (Prime of Whiles Own). He takes particular pride in his regiment, and statc-s that he is the only survivor of the officers and men who served in it in his time. Seated at: the lire at Ids lodgings, his eyes lighted up as he recalled memories of his Army da vs for the edifiraliou of an interviewer. He could not tel! the exact date of his enlistment. He was then, he said, forty or fortyfive years of age, hut was pat down as thirty-five, and was accepted. He joined up in Birr, and was sent L. Kilkenny, where the regiment was then stationed, and where several other Birr men also were soldiering. WITH REGIMENT TO NEW ZEALAND. “Thev are all gone now." he said. "I am the only one left. If the Prince of Wales heard of me lie would help me, belonging ns L do to his regiment. Some day or other he may hear ol me. That would make me happy. We did not land in Crimea.” lie said, in reply to a question. "Wo were under orders for there, but the orders were countermanded at tlie last moment, and we sailed for New Zealand instead, “It took us a long time to get to Auckland, where we landed. The morning after we arrived my company (the 9th) and another company were sent to the Te AYhaiti country. Up

there we saw heavy fighting with the Maoris. It was there that I was wounded, and Colonel Lawton and Captain Felts, my company commander were killed. ‘'One day volunteers were called for a special service. 1 was one of those that volunteered. There were about fifty of us in tile party. The two officers were shot dead, as were three or four of lily comrades. 1 got a bullet wound under the stomach, and fl had to lie. it up myself as I lay in the busli. I do not know how long | lay oil the ground, but l was taken down to .Auckland, where 1 recovered. “A soldier’s life was then different from what it is now. When the rations allowance and stoppages for barrack damages and other things were paid un we had very Itt tic* ie get—

ala ttt a penny or tv,., a day. pay day a bag ..f i rippers use.l to • a brought in. A coup,l,, of pounds in coppers then went a long way. HEALTHY IX SPITE OF CHEAT AGE. ‘ When I left the Army i sixpence a day pension, after increased to Is Cd a day. When the old age pen-ions came out I got one: I bad Ss a week old age pension ltf-t year. When I got an increase ol mv Armv pension to Its hd it clay my old age pension was stopped, and 1 am worse oil mew than I was before i got the 1 increase. Questioned" ;K to his l-imily. M>■ Car roll suited that he had one son and three daughters. One daughter is in America, and the oilier two are in England. AH have their «" u dies. Mr Carroll invariably "ears on h;s bren-i the medal of tin* Xetv Zealand campaign. Mis landlady. Airs ('lark, her-.lt the wife of an ex-member ol the Leinster liegiment. whose -mis served through the Croat War. said that Mr Carroll, despite his great age. is very healthy. She added that it was difficult for him to live mi his pension and to get some of the little comforts that he requires. Air Carroll has an excellent Army (li-u-liarge. lie has been a hard-work-ing, industrious mail all his life, ami is held in the highest esteem by all who know him.