PAINFUL INCIDENT

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 86, 10 April 1924, Page 6

PAINFUL INCIDENT

ABOUT A V.C. WINNER

A MOTHER'S STORY.

'.CM TELEGIUr-H.-SPECIAI, TO T H! POST)

AUCKLAND, This Day. There is' an interesting story . associated, with the final clouded experiences of an Auckland soldier whose recent, death at Aberdeen was followed by an extraordinary sequel involving an allegation that he had masqueraded for nine years as the winner of the coveted Victoria Cross. In the "New Zealand Herald" in February there appeared a brief obituary advertisement announcing "the death at Aberdeen (suddenly) of Corporal Henry Matthew Charles ' Richardson, V.C.. fourth son of the late Captain R, Richardson, and Mrs. Richardson, Norman's Hill road, Onehunga." Load inquiries failed to secure confirmation of the military honour apparently stated in good faith. The name was not in the official list of winners of : the Victoria Cross. The sequel was a startling surprise for the relatives. A London Press cable message published on 31st March stated' that "nine years ago Corporal Herbert Richardson settled in Aberdeen, and claimed that he was the only Canadian to have won the Victoria Cross' in the Boer War." The message added that thn Cross had been recently presented to Richardson by His Majesty in haste.; that seven weeks after his death it was discovered that the man was an impostor, masquerading as a dead Canadian of the same name; that the military authorities did not question his bona fides and accorded him an impressive funeral with" military honours, and that his sweetheart had written to Auckland learning that his Christian names did not. tally with those of the real hero. Later, there was r,.noth«r London message explaining that the real Corporal Richardson, V.C., had been discovered working on a Liverpool tram, and was very much puzzled as -to how somebody else could get his military pension and military funeral. The widowed mother of the late Corporal Richardson, of Onehunga, states that she and her family have been subjected to much distress over the painful I incident. She explains that she and her family had every reason to, believe that "Harry had won the V.C." It was the War Office that gave them the first intimation of it, repeated in several communications. Each message referred to him as Corporal Henry Matthew. Charles Richardson, V.C. "My son,"- said Mrs. Richardson, "never boasted a,bout his experiences as. a soldier in many campaigns, and only once referred to his decoration, mentioning jokingly in a letter that he would never be hard up with his V.C._ pension. We cannot understand the referencn t<v Canada, and also to the Christian name Herbert. -He was never in Canada, and he.w-as always known as Harry Richardson. The 6tbry in the paper about his sweetheart writing to- me about his Christian names is not.true. The only message we got from her or her people was this cablegram from Aberdeen on 19th February. It read: 'Harry died suddenly.'" _■'.-■ [' The late Corporal Richardson was ! borji in;:. Karachi,. India, -48 -years ago, his'late "father then holding- a lieutenant's commission in the "old 95th Regiment." The family came-to Auckland in 1890. Ten years later Harry, now a young man, left Auckland for Australia, thence to South Africa, where he was on active service rluring the latter' part of the Boer War.. After that campaign he obtained employment as an engineer on the Union .railways, and remained there until the outbreak of the World War. He immediately enlisted and fought under the late General Botha in German South-West Africa. On completion of. that campaign, he, ■-vtfth 29 mates, paid his own passage to England, and on arrival, immediately joined up with the Gordon Highlanders, always having a passionate love of the High-"i land costume, and he went to Flanders without any delay in training. • "My son was fond of roaming about the world," added Mrs. Richardson, "'but he was of good character and habits, and he was loyal to his Empire, and fought often for it." : ■» 1