Relics Of Crimean War

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31760, 17 August 1968, Page 21

Relics Of Crimean War

The manager of the Avon cinema, Mr S. E. M. Moodie, has been amazed at the response to his appeal for relics of the Crimean War, which he needed to set up a display for the film, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

*Td never have thought that Christchurch had so many descendants of Crimean War veterans,” he said. He discovered that part of the reason was that soldiers who took part in the war were encouraged to take their discharges In the colonies. One of the most interesting relics is a folder published in memory of Patrick Delany, of Matamata, who died in 1928 at the age of 99 years and 11 months.

Mr Delany, whose grandson. Mr D. N. Delany, lives at 55 Ruskin Street, Spreydon, was born in Ireland and survived the potato famine to enlist with the army a year before Britain entered the war.

He was severely wounded at the battle of Inkerman and was taken to the famous hospital at Scutari where Florence Nightingale nursed him. Mr Delany recovered to fight at Sebastopol.

Aftei- the war he sailed for India, in time to fight in the Indian Mutiny, and was captured and sentenced to be shot at dawn. He escaped and when that war was over, he went to New Zealand and took part in yet another war —against the Maoris at Taranaki and Tauranga.

Other time-worn relics in the display are Private Robert Martin’s parchment discharge certificate and pay book. The certificate shows that he was discharged from the Grenadier Guards at the age of 29 after nearly nine years service, and on payment of $l5.

A collection of unit badges from the Crimean war includes the skull and crossbones badge of the “death or glory boys”—the 17 Lancers.

A 17th Lancers shako helmet, complete with horsehair plume, is among relics lent by members of the New Zealand Antique Arms Association. They have also provided a hussar’s busby, cavalry and dragoon sabres, and two muskets—a short one for the cavalry and a long one for the infantry. Also on display at the theatre are battle scenes by Captain S. R. Kelly, the official Crimean War artist, lent by his descendant, Mrs R. Hopkins, of 11 Cuffs Road, Wainoni. Other paintings show the “thin red line” of Argylle highlanders at Balaclava, the return from Balaclava, and the siege of Sebastopol. The film, which begins today, is beng released simultaneously in 16 New Zealand

centres. It will be the first showing of the film outside Britain.