THE VICTORIA CROSS

Evening Post, Volume XCIV, Issue 30, 4 August 1917, Page 7

THE VICTORIA CROSS

SAMUEL FRICKLETON.

(BI miJGKAPH,-SPECIAL TO THI FOST.)

GREYMOUTH, This Day.

Samuel Frickleton, who has been awarded the Victoria Grose, is a member of the well-known "fighting" family of Blackball. Born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, twenty-six years ago, he, along with his' mother and the rest of the .family, came to New Zealand four years ago, and settled at BlackW.l, where he followed the occupation of a coal miner. He enlisted with the sth Reinforcements, and saw service on Gallipoli, being invalided home on account of illness. On recovering, lie re-enlisted, and. has since seen active service in France, where he has now won the highest honour that .can be conferred on a British soldier. By latest private advice, he had since been promoted to be a sergeant. The Frickleton family have a magnificent record of patriotic devotion. All five boys in. the family have donned khaki. One (William) was killed in France; Tom, who went with the 2nd Reinforcements, saw service on Gallipoli, where he was wounded, a.nd, as a result, was invalided home, being now at Blackball; Bert went with the 16ths, and saw service in France, at the present time being an inmate of a hospital in England; James, the remaining boy, has returned to Christchurch, having been wounded. His sister, Mrs. Buchanan, resides at Blackball. Mrs. Frickleton herself, a sturdy Scotch patriot, is proud of her boys, as well she might be, and the Victoria Cross now conferred .on her son, is not only a fitting recognition of hie great example of heroism, but is a well-merited honour to the mother and her sons, who have so nobly played their part. Mrs.' Fvickleton, it might be added, spends most' of her time knitting socks and 'making other comforts for "oui* boys" in khaki.

Sir James Allen (Minister for Defence) despatched the following telegram to -Mrs. E. L. Frickletbn, Clifford-street, Blackball, yesterday :—"Although. I have not yet received official confirmation of. the message appearing in this morning's paper; I have little doubt that the Lance: Corporal Samuel Frickleton, who has been awarded the coveted Victoria Cross, is your son, and I am sure you must have read with a thrill of pride'tlm story of the gallnnt deed which won for him and for New Zealand that very high honour. In tendering to you my warmest congratulations, I do not forget that you have given four other sons to the^ service of King and Empire, one of whom has fallen in the cause, while another is at present severely wounded. I sincerely trust that both of your wounded sons will have a speedy recovery, and that they and their brothers still on active service-may all be safely restored to you in due course, having nobly done their duty." *