DRAMA OF WAR

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 57, Issue 116, 26 February 1937, Page 6

DRAMA OF WAR

RETURN OF A DISPATCH. AFTER NEARLY TWENTY YEARS. MEETING IN CHRISTCHURCH STREET. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. " Nineteen and a-half years ago a captain in the New Zealand Forces sent a dispatch by runner to his superior officer, announcing the locality of a victory at Passchendaele. The dispatch was never delivered, but a few days ago the incredible happened in Christchurch, when a cyclist who was passing hi 9 former officer jumped off his cycle, said he was the runner concerned, and handed back the message.

This is a war story in which the central figures are J. F. Tonkin, of the staff of Dalgety and Co., Christchurch, Lieutenant-Colonel Row, of General Headquarters Staff, Wellington, and the Christchurch man who carried the dispatch can well come into the “ so many years after” series begun by the tale of'Alan Brown’s bottle.

In fierce operations at Passchendaele Tonkin was captain in command of Ist Company, Ist Battalian, Canterbury Regiment, and his superior officer was Colonel Row.

Battalion orders on the day in question, October 4, 1917, were to capture Abraham Heights and to continue on. After bard fighting the New Zealanders achieved their objective, but in the course of the battle Captain Tonkin was wounded. Before he was taken to the rear he wrote a brief dispatch to his colonel, announcing that the objective had been gained ana that he was wounded and was handing over to the next in command.

On the journey to headquarters the runner was also wounded and the mesr sage was not delivered. On his way to the back lines Captain Tonkin spoke to Colonel Row and reported the result of the fighting himself.

Needless to say, it was a very surprised Mr Tonkin w’ho was stopped by the cyclist in the city street a few Jays ago. Taking the message from his pocket-book and handing it over, the ex-runner laconically told Mr Tonkin that He had been looking for him for nearly 20 years to return the dispatch.