Brigadier-General W. Meldrum Dead At 98

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30365, 14 February 1964, Page 12

Brigadier-General W. Meldrum Dead At 98

Brigadier-General William Meldrum, of Greymouth, who died at Burnham yesterday,' was the oldest returned soldier in New Zealand. He was 98. He was visiting his son, Captain W. Meldrum. Brigadier - General Meldrum was born in Kamo, North Auckland, and educated at the Auckland Grammar School. After attending lectures at Auckand University, he served his apprenticeship with the Auckland legal firm of Whitaker and Russell from 1883 to 1887. He practised law at Kawakawa with Mr J. R. (later Sir John) Reed, then at Thames and Hunterville, living at Hunterville from 1890 to 1912, before undertaking farming. Military Career

After spending 14 years in the Volunteers and Territorials, Mr Meldrum held the rank of lieutenant-colonel with the Manawatu Mounted Rifles. He was appointed with that rank to the command of the Wellington Mounted Rifles With the Main Body on Gallipoli in the first World War. He also temporarily commanded the New Zealand Brigade for the last two months on Gallipoli, His next service was with the A.N.Z.A.C. Mounted Division in the Sinai desert. This regiment served an extra two months as an adjunct to the Second Australian Light Horse Brigade. BrigadierGeneral Meldrum commanded it for 17 days during the fighting from Romani to Bieril Abed. He then commanded the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade through the Palestine campaign, and fought to the finish of the war through the Jordan Valley. Brigadier-General Meldrum was six times mentioned in dispatches and was awarded the Serbian Order of the White Eagle. After the Armistice, the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade and the Australian Light Horse Brigade were kept in Egypt for three months, until the British Army of Occupation was ready to take charge. Farming

On returning to New Zealand, Brigadier-General Meldrum went farming for some time, but gave it up during the depression and took up legal practice at New Plymouth. In August, 1921, he accepted the position of

Magistrate on the West Coast, with headquarters at Greymouth. After 13 years in this position he was superannuated. Brigadier-General Meldrum was elected Mayor of Greymouth in 1935, and served until 1938, On the outbreak of the Second World War he was.

appointed group director of file Home Guard for the West Coast. He was also appointed chairman of the Armed Forces’ Appeal Board. Brigadier-General Meldrum represented Auckland at both cricket and Rugby. He toured the South Island with the 1884 Auckland cricket team, playing against Otago, Canterbury, and Wellington. In 1886, he played against Wellington and the Australian team. At Rugby, he played against Wellington in 1886, and also three times against the touring New South Wales team the same year. While at Hunterville, in 1896, Brigadier-General Meldrum won (he New Zealand chess championship, and several times won the West Coast chess title. He won the Greymouth Golf Club’s championship in 1924, and the Greymouth Bowling Club’s singles championship in 1934.

Brigadier-General Meldrum is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.