THE LAST POST.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15551, 7 March 1914, Page 8

THE LAST POST.

CRIMEAN VETERAN'S DEATH.

CAPTAIN HEMINGWAY.

STIRRING TIMES RECALLED.

The "Last Post - ' sounded for another war veteran on Thursday when Captain Edward Frederick Hemingway passed away at Mount Roskiil at the age of 91 years. The late soldier had a long and interesting military career. He was born at Dewsbury, i orKshire, in 1823, and at an early age obtained a commission. Alter ulall service at Home and in .\iaita, he was sent to the Crimea, where he came in contact with. Fieki-Jlarshal till' Evelyn Wood and Lord vVolseley. On one occasion lie carried Sir Evelyn Wood out ot action when he was wounded, and nursed him, as well as Lord VVolseiey, lor some tune. His diary manes lnxjuent relerences to "Cordon 01 the engineers," who was afterwards ine hero 01 j.uuu.i/oum. Among otner engagements he was present at Hie attack on me iteuan. Days of Hardship. Many stories of the grim hardships oi the Crimea were told uy me late veteiaii, among tliem being trie following: —-in nicer, wno aftersurns became lamous, was voiced ougD lacK oi clothing to use whatever ho could iind, and on one occasion, when he was uressed ill an anuenL i reach Lavalry unilorin, a private lailed to salute him tie aemanaod a reason, and the private replied tnat he "would not salute a Frencny." 1 lie private was fortunate in escaping a court-martial. New Zealand Service. After the Crimea, Captain Hemingway came to .New Zealand and served in iaranam in 1866 and lbbo as chief commissariat officer under General Chute.

lie late soiuier uad an interesting experience while stationed at Patea. \\ith a. email escort he had to march to ttanganui through country that '.as mleeted by Hostile natives. io tne surprise 01 the lorces ho reached the river town without having a single brusn with the enemy. It aiterv a rets transpired that when the lorce passed through a wooded gully in the vicinity of ivai Iwi, a targe number of .Maoris lay in ambush reaay to attack it, but they were restrained lroin so doing by a native who sometime beiore had oeen given lood by the captain, when he was starving. Franco-German War. Capt. Hemingway was a resident in France during the Franco-German War, and watched it as a non-combatant. On one occasion, when, the Germans were marching on the town where he was living, he hastily made a Union Jack and flew it on the building. When he returned the flag was still intact and the house had not been looted. This flag is still in existence. On another occasion he fell into the hands of the Prussians and had some difficulty in proving that he was not an antagonise.. Upon his retirement he lived for a time in England and then came to New Zealand, settling in Auckland, where he has resided ever since. He was a very old Mason and was the first master of the New Plymouth lodge in 1865. He was also one of the original members of the Empire Veterans' Association.

The deceased leaves a family of three sons and two daughters Messrs. E. F. Hemingway (Patea), W. H. and A. 0. Hemingway (Auckland), Mrs. C. Dutton (Mount Roskill), and Mrs. Barker (South Africa). The funeral took place at the Purewa Cemetery yesterday afternoon.