MAORI WAR VETERAN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 3676, 11 August 1927, Page 1

MAORI WAR VETERAN.

AN IRISHMAN’S RECORD. OLDEST MAN IN BRITAIN. DEATH AT 118 YEAR'S. London, June 29. An old'Maori War veteran, and the oldest man in the British Isles, died at Birr, King’s County, Ireland, last week. This was Mr. James Carroll, who was born on March 11, 1809, a few miles away from the town of Birr. Despite his age, he was vigorous and in possession of all his faculties to the last, except that he was somewhat deaf and that his memory was not so good as it used to be.

Mr. Carroll served in the old 14th Foot, and was a. member of the Old Comrades’ Association of the .West Yorkshire Regiment (Prince of Wales’ Own). He took particular pride in his regiment and was the only survivor of the officers and men who served in it in his time. He could not tell the actual date of his enlistment, but said that when he enlisted he was 40 or 45 years of age, being accepted because his age was given as 35. The regiment was under orders for the Crimea, but the orders were countermanded at the last moment, and they sailed for New Zealand, where he saw heavy fighting against the Maoris and was wounded, the commanding officer, Colonel Law-

ton, and his company commander, Captain Felts, being killed.

These casualties occurred on a special service expedition, for which Mr. Carroll volunteered, with 49 Others. He received a bullet wound, which he had to tie up, and did not know how long he lay in the bush, but eventually lie was taken to Auckland.

Mr. 'Carroll invariably wore on his breast the medal of the New Zealand campaign, of which he was particularly proud. He was a hardworking, .industrious man all his life and was held in esteem by all who knew him. He often stated that one of his earliest recollections was being carried by his father to see illuminations on the Slieve Bloom Mountains to celebrate the battle of Waterloo. He drove the brougham of a county family to a ball at Birr to celebrate the coronation of Queen Victoria. 'The funeral was large and representative, the Birr Branch British Legion of ex-Service Men marching in procession. At the graveside the “Last Post” was sounded. The wreaths included one “in loving memory from the West Yorkshire 'Regiment (the Old 14th Foot) Comrades” and one from the Birr Branch British Legion of exService Men.