A ROMANTIC CAREER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18680, 9 April 1924, Page 11

A ROMANTIC CAREER.

LATE CORP. RICHARDSON. SOLDIER ON MANY FRONTS. WITH EOBERTS, BOTHA, FOCH.' AN AUCKLANDER'S EXPERIENCES. 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 fop nine years as tho winner of the coveted Victoria Cross. It is a story of the romantic career of a rover and a born fighter. In the New Zealand Herald in Feb ruary, 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 Captdn R. Richardson and Mrs. Richardson, Norman's Hill Road, Onehunga." Local 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 Cro ;s. Public interest swept on to different incidents and events.

The sequel was a startling surprise for tho relatives, A London press cable message, published in this journal on March 31, stated that " nine years ago Corporal Herbert Richardson settled in Aberdeen, and claimed that ho was the only Canadian to have won the Victoria Cross in the Boer War." The message added that tile 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 ins Christian names did not tally with those of the real hero." Later, there was another London message explaining that the real Corporal Kichardson, 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 a military funeraL War Office Intimation.

The widowed mother of the late Corporal Richardson, of (Jnehunga, states that she and her family have been subjected to much distress over the painful incident. Some people, it appears, can be very cruel, "when anything goes wrong with others." Mrs. Richardson explained,in reply to an inquiry 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. This was received on several occasions during the World War, when the Imperial authorities notified his removal-to a British hospital from Flanders suffering from frost-bitten feet, and the progress of his treatment during eight months and his discharge from the institution. Each message referred to him as Corporal Henry Matthew Charles Richardson, V.C. All the communications were directed to his brother Charles, in Auckland, as next-of-kin. "My son," said Mrs. Richardson, " never boasted about 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 reference to Canada and also to the Christian name, Herbert. He was never in Canada, and he was always known as Harry Richardson. Here are all the photographs of him taken with his company in tn*e Gordon Highlanders. The story in the paper about his sweetheart wr;*£hig 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 February 19." It read, " Harry died suddenly."

Career in. the Army. The late Corporal Richardson was born in' Karachi, India, 48 years ago, his late father then holdirig a lieutenant's . commission in the " old 95th. Regiment." The family came to Auckland in 1890. Ten years later Harry, now a young mar, left Auckland for Australia, thence to South Africa, where he was oil active service during the latter pari 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 late General Botha in German South- west Africa. On completion of that campaign he, with 29 mates, paid his ( own passage to England and on arrival immediately joined up with the Gordon Highlanders, always having had a passionate lore of the Highland. costume, and he weat 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."

SURVIVOR IS EWGLiiKD.

REUNION WITH FAMILY. A. and N.Z. LONDON, April 1In connection with the man who was buried with military honours as Corporal Richardson, V.C., the discovery of the real Richardson, who was working as a labourer at Liverpool, has been followed by a happy sequel in his reunion >.wjth his '.-to-do family. After 25 years' estrangement he visited his old homj in trepidation, wondering what his reception would be, but he w»*s recognised instantly, and was received with embraces and kisses. Richardson said that when he read of the exploits of the masquerade he was staggered. lam too quiet, he said, but when I saw that I was supposed to fa* dead I thought it was lime "to let my people know that I was alive.