A twenty year old man stood nervously before Army Officer Lieutenant T.M. Williams answering questions; he was enlisting to join the New Zealand forces during August 1914. Duly accepted he joined the 8th Southland Regiment, signing the acceptance form which read; Are you willing to serve in the Expeditionary Force in or beyond New Zealand under the following conditions – provided your services should be so long as required for the term of the present European War, and for such further period as is necessary to bring the Expeditionary Force back to New Zealand and disband it? Answer “Yes”
So the young man born 17 July 1894 became private No 8/487 in the Otago Infantry Battalion 8th Company.
After a period of training, along with hundreds of other young men he embarked to travel to the Middle East. We have no record of the date.
Then on 12 April 1915 he embarked for the Dardanelles not knowing what would become of him but aware of the Turkish offensive in the area.
Information is scarce but records show he was treated for a strained ankle on the 29 April 5 days after the ANZAC landing. His personal account of the period describes being dug in on the Gallipoli Peninsula with the machine gun crew who were part of the front line of the ANZAC defenses.
At some stage during this time their position was struck by a mortar bomb and suffered casualties, fortunately our private was uninjured but unable to speak as a result of the bomb blast, he was put in the care of the New Zealand field ambulance. Was discharged to duty on the 1 May 1915 but obviously unwell and admitted to hospital in Cairo with enteritis. Four and a half months later he was discharged to duty in Alexandra on 2 October 1915 and employed as a cook at the NZ camp at ‘Mustapha’ on 4 October 1915. After that he was moved to various camps until 29 May 1916 when he was transferred to England arriving at Devonport and moving on to ‘Sling’ camp near Bulford on 28 Dec 1917.
He was discharged from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in London and took up a temporary commission with the Royal Naval Air Service DR 431 where he trained as a pilot in what is now the Fleet Air Arm.
Obtained pilots qualification during the two years he was in the Naval Service and gained the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. Discharged and sailed for NZ on 26 July 1919.
Our 20 year old soldier spent 6 years in the service of his country. He married and had a long and fruitful life.
Horace Simon died on 6 July 1984 aged 89.
“LEST WE FORGET”
Note: This true story of a family member was given for publication in our newsletter by
one of our longstanding members. Many men who returned from that awful war found talking
about it difficult, they experienced such terrible things they returned changed men.
