SOLDIER IN MANY COUNTRIES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXIV, 10 January 1931, Page 11

SOLDIER IN MANY COUNTRIES

AN ADVENTUROUS LIFE NORTH AUCKLAND SETTLER’S EXPERIENCES Adventures such as those one reads of in fiction have been the lot of Mr A. N. Hamlin, who arrived in Auckland from Sydney by the Ulimaroa this week. Mr Hamlin has seen fighting in many countries, and he is entitled, if lie chooses, to wear thirteen medals, the awards of several governments in Europe. “Yes, I have seen some exciting times,” Mr Hamlin said, “and now I am going to Mercury Bay, where I hope to live at peace, till a small piece of land, lead the simple life and keep a few chickens.” IN ITALIAN FOREIGN LEGION Just before the war in 1914, Mr Hamlin was with the Italian Foreign Legion and saw much fighting in Tripoli against the warlike Senussi tribes. Before that lie was attached to the British Consulate in Tripoli. Subsequently he was appointed to the Allied Military Mission which travelled through Serbia and Greece. It was whilst on this mission that Mr Hamlin went to Constantinople in order to organise refugee camps. From there he was dispatched to Southern Russia to form and organise refugee camps in order to prevent hordes of people from descending on Constantinople. Prior to those happenings he saw much service in the Graeco-Turkish War in 1910-11, when he had the novel experience of being first op one side and then on the other. The reason for this was that he was on a military mission in the Balkan States, and when the Greeks had beaten the Turks, the Turks turned their attention to the Bulgarians . The Turks desired some excellent territory which had been given them by the Greeks for past help. SURVEYOR AND EXPLORER The years 1920-23 saw the adventurer road surveying between the borders of Uganda and British Congo, up towards the Sudan frontier. Then he joined an exploration party which was .going out to Macedonia on behalf of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. Once again he tried to get into the fighting line, but this time he was doomed to disappointment. The Turks and Greeks were “at it again in a small way” round about Smyrna. He went to Athens and endeavoured to join up, but the authorities would not have anything tP do with him. For three years before coming to New Zealand Mr Hamlin was employed in various capacities in the Public Works Department of the Government of Tanganyika, which was formerly German East Africa. Two years ago he came here “to have a look at the Dominion” he had heard so much about from a pal whom he had known in Madagascar and who had settled in the Bay of Islands. Mr Hamlin settled at Opua and has been abroad for several months on private business. Now he is going to Mercury Bay to iive, and perhaps to write his memoirs.