OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVII, Issue 9900, 12 October 1928, Page 2

OBITUARY

LIEUT.-00 LONEL ROBERTS (N.Z.OL)

We regret to record the death of Lieut.-Colonel John Mackintosh Roberts (N.Z.0.), which occurred in Rotorua yesterday at the age of 88 years. The 'late Lieut.-Uol. Roberts was born at Bombay, India and arrived iu the Dominion iu 1855. He was very well-known iu Tauranga where he. resided for many years after his appointment to the position of Resident Magistrate in May. 1871. After the death of his * wife, Lieut.-Col. Roberts left Tauranga and until his retirement from the magistracy in 1909 lived both in Taupo and Rotorua, afterwards making his home in Roto-

rua. The following is an account' —■ taken from “The Defenders of Mew Zealand by Major Gudgeon—of deceased’s activities during the Maori

War; “John Mackintosh Roberts, in August. 1863, joined Major Jackson's company of Forest Rangers, and in the following November was appointed ensign in Von Tempsky’s company, and finally promoted to lieutenant in March, 1864. From the first, he took a most active part in the war. was present at Rangiaohia and Hacrini, and on the day prior to the attack on Orakau, was ordered from Te Awamutu to Kihikihi, with 20 Forest Rangers, to join Captain Ring s Company (18th Regiment), which company, with the. Forest Rangers, formed the advance guard to, and the storming party afterwards, on the Orakau Pa. In this attack the gallant Ring fell mortally wounded. In March, 1868, Captain Roberts was made sub-inspector of Armed Constabulary, and on the outbreak of hostilities in the Wanganui district, was transferred from the Waikato to Patea with Von Tempsky’s division of Armed Constabulary. He was present at the relief of Turi-trui Mokai, and was left in command of the Redoubt. He took part in both Jfttacks on Te Ngutu-o-te-Manu, and was the officer who, on the second attack, was cut off from the main body with 58 men and 11 wounded, and who, after so gallantly beating off the enemy, got benighted in the dense bush. Here he anxiously awaited the first streak of daylight to try and feel his way out to < the open country, which was at last successfully accomplished, and Captain Roberts had the satisfac- 1 tion of seeing his party in safety 'at Waihi Redoubt about nine file following morning, thoroughly exhausted. Captain Roberts, with the 6th Division of Armed Constabulary. was also present at the attack on Moturua. and again distinguished himself in covering the j retreat of our forces, for which service he received his majority and rank of Inspector. He soon after took an active part in the siege and capture of Ngatapa; and was at the taking of Tauranga-a-hika Pa, and at the defeat of Titokowaru at Olauto and Te Whakamaru. He afterwards led the right column of the troops engaged in the pursuit of Te Kooti. in the, Urewera campaign, under Colonel Whitmore, and was subsequently appointed to the command of the Taupo district. Here he remained until May, 1871, when he was transferred to the disrtict of Tauranga, and made Resident Magistrate for same. But, on the out-j break of active resistance and aggressive measures taken by the • fanatics of the West Coast, ifjfajor I Roberts’ military services were j again called into action, the Gov- j eminent conferring on him the I rank of Lieut-Golonel, and placing j him in command of all the colonial forces gathered together at Panllflln /'ill llnf

sion. In 1886 he was removed tcAuckland in command of the Armed Constabulary of that district. "The Gazette, conferring on Lieut.-Colonel Roberts the decora- | tion of the New Zealand Cross, says:—"This gallant officer was | awarded the New Zealand Cross by I His Excellency the Governor, Sir George Grey, for his resolute bearing on the 6th September 1868, at Te Ngutu-o-te-manu, where, owing to a miscarriage of orders issued by Colonel McDonnell t<> retire. he and his men were left behind, and eventually had to fight their way back through the standing bush, closely pursued by the I enemy. To Captain Roberts’ cool- 1 ness and determination on this oc-

casion may be attributed the saving of the force under his command. And for the courage and judgment displayed by him at the battle at Moturoa, on the 7th November. 1868. when, having only arrived during the night, he, with his young and newly raised divi-

sion succeeded m covering the retreat of Colonel Whitmore’s force, although greatly outnumbered, and !at one time nearly surrounded. To his fortitude as ■ a soldier and the confidence he inspired, was mainly due the discipline of his men, who kept their ranks in a dense bush in spite ol the repeated efforts of the enemy to close with them, and so enabled the force, encumbered with the wounded, to draw off in good order-.” The late Lieut,-001. Roberts is survived by two sons and two daughters. The funeral will take place in Tauranga to-morrow afternoon, leaving Hillsdene corner for the new cemetery at 3 o’clock