OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 254, 23 July 1929, Page 13

OBITUARY

CAPTAIN VICTOR GALLIE Another valiant spirit and victim of the great war passed away shortly before midnight on Sunday in the person of Captain Victor Gallie, M.C., Croix de Guerre, late of the Royal Field Artillery, who died at the residence of his father, Mr. John Gallie,, the Glen, Kelburn. The late Captain Victor Gallie was among the very first to volunteer for .service in Wellington, and went away with the Samoan Expeditionary Force in No. 1 troopship. He remained there for nine months “eating his head off," so to speak, at the force I inaction associated with tame garrison work at Apia. As soon as the Force returned to New Zealand he resigned, and at his own expense went to England, enlisted in the Royal Field Artillery, underwent a course of special training at Ballincollig, Cork, and in December, 1916, went to France as a second lieutenant The following year saw him decorated on the field (at the Somme) with the Military Cross for distinguished service. He was promoted to a lieutenancy, and at the end of the same year to a captaincy, gaining the French Croix de Guerre for a notable piece of work in the great retreat of that year. He was only once wounded (in an action near Ypres), and served with the guns up to the moment “Cease Are” was sounded on Armistice Day. As a souvenir of the occasion he brought home with him the eases of two shells, the last two shots fired by his battery at 11 a.m. on November 11, 1918. Captain Gallie returned home in due course a firemedal man, and re-entered civilian life. He joined the staff of the Union Bank of Australia and remained in their employ up till two years ago, when the reaction on his nervous syste: i of those two years with the guns began to make itself painfully apparent. Everything possible was done to effect a cure, but without avail. For the last nine months Captain Gallie had been unable to rise from his bed, and his end was a happy release. Deceased, who was 38 years of age, received his early education at the Martinboough School, and later at Wellington College, which school he represented at Rugby football for three years. He leaves a widow, but no children..

It is worth recalling that Captain Victor Gallie was a brother of Captain Oscar Gallie, D. 5.0., M.C., who was killed at Ypres. Both brothers had served at Samoa, both went Home to seek active service, both were decorated for distinguished service—now death has garnered both. Much sympathy will be expressed for his parents, and Mrs. Gallie.