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Hokitika Guardian, 3 July 1928, Page 4

TUB THINNING RANKS. The dentil of Mr. Joseph Chambers, of Cambridge, severs a link between New Zealand and the late Earl Roberts, for the old soldier was one of the column which accomplished vho famous march from Kabul to Kandahar. “Bobs” died in the.first winter of the Great War—his eight or ninth campaign—and there are not many of his “diehards” left. One of them was Matthew Holland, a well-known “character” in the ancient city of Nottingham, who served his time in the lltli Hussars and charged, with drawn sabre, i'lto the “valley of death” at Balaclava. Old Matt rather fancied himself as an elocutionist, and he used to give Tennyson’s “Charge of the Light Brigade” with great gusto at charity matinees or smoke concerts. M..A. P.. when a very young reporter on the “.Nottingham Guardian,” was sent, one Balaclava* anniversary, to get a story from the old cavalryman. He found him amongst his monies m the snug bar parlour of tlio “Guardian’s Rest,” and at last succeeded m getting him out. It was a case of “in vino veritas,” for Matt was brimful of good cheer and told the exact and truthful version of what happened. “It was like this ’ere,” he said. “My ’alf-section, Toby Bunco, ’e says, ‘Blimy, Matt, were goin’ to charge.’ I said. Don’t talk soft,’ hut by this we’d started to gallop. My old skin (horse) got more than I c°nl(l manage. anil 1 lost one o’ me irons (stirrups), so T just ’ad to ’ang on as best I could witii me arms round ’is neck. That’s ’ow I went into the guns and back again. No, I didn't kill any Russians that day!”