VETERAN PASSES

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 36, 11 August 1927, Page 4

VETERAN PASSES

BRITAIN'S OLDEST MAN

SERVED IN' MAORI WAR

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 29th June.

An old Maori War veteran and the oldest man in the British Isles, died at Birr, King's County, Ireland, last week. This was Mr. James Carroll, who was born on 11th March, 1809, a few miles away from the town of Birr. Despite his age, he was vigorous and in possession of all his faculties to the last, except that he was somewhat deaf and that his memory was not so good as it used to be.

He served in the old 14th Foot, and was a member of the old Comrades' Association of the West Yorkshire Eeginient (Prince of Wales' Own). He took particular, pride in his regiment, and was the only survivor of the officers and men who served in it in his time. He could not tell the actual date of his enlistment, but said that when he enlisted he was forty or forty-five years of age, being accepted because his age was given at 35. .

Ho joined up in Birr and was sent ot Kilkenny. His regiment was under orders for the Crimea, but the orders were countermanded at the last moment, and they sailed for New Zealand, where he saw heavy fighting against the Maoris, and was wounded, the commanding officer, Colonel Lawton, and his company commander, Captain Felts, being killed.

These casualties occurred on a special service expedition, for which Carroll volunteered with 49 others. He received a bullet wound under the stomach, which he liad to tie up, and did not know how long he lay in the bush, but eventually he was taken down to Auckland.

Mr. Carroll invariably wore on his breast the medal of the New Zealand campaign, of which he was particularly proud. He was a hard-working, industrious man all his life, and was held in esteem by all who knew him. He often stated that one of his earliest recollections was being carried by his father to see illuminations on the Slieve Bloom Mountains, to celebrate the battle of Waterloo. He drove the brougham of a county family to a ball at Birr to celebrate the Coronation of Qncen Vie-

_ The secretary of Old Comrades' Association, _ West Yorkshire Regiment, tion The funeral was large and representative, the Bur Branch British iefiocesLt 861'"06 Men marC^ - the

At the graveside the "Last Post" was sounded. The wreath, \nSuded VnrV J* lo™B memory from the West Yorkshire Eegiment (The Old 14th Foot) Comrades," and one from the ?£ £ eh Britist Legiou °f --s-