BROKEN IN THE WAR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20426, 30 November 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

BROKEN IN THE WAR.

" OLD CONTEMPTIBLES." VETERANS IN ILL-HEALTH. UNABLE TO OBTAIN PENSIONS. Living in one room in London, is a ! veteran " Did Contemptible," Sergeant i Robert Thornhill, late oi' the West Yorkshire Regiment, who whs awarded the Military .Medal by his corps commander lor great gallantry in April 1917. Sergeant Thornhill rescued u wounded comrade from the German wire, thus preventing the enemy from obtaining any identification. 'J lie General extended " warm congratulations to the sergeant, ■ who, "at the risk of his life, performed this gallant feat.'' To-day this old hero suffers constant load health, partly as the result of a severe bullet wound in bis spine, which he received on December 14, 1914, find partly as the result of malaria, from which be suffered in India and Burma,

.and he has no pension. Sergeant Thornhill was in hospital for three months with his wound, and there was an occasion during the war when, according to his wife, lie was (old that he could remain at home and bo, pensioned off. "lie refused to do this," says Mrs. Thoruhill, " and went to the Front once more. My husband has done his best for his country, and yet he has 110 pension." It was nearly 30 years ago that Sergeant Thornhili enlisted—as far back as 1901 —and was soon fighting in the Boer War. for which he earned the Queen s .Medal with three clasps. He then went to India and served in that country and Burma, for upwards of six years. lie was mobilised for the Great War and went to (he Front with the " Old Contemptibles," earning the Mons Star and fighting clasp, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

.Accordinn to his discharge •.certificates, Sergeant Thornhill not only lias to his credit five medals and four clasps, lint he. served for 12 years, 221 days with the colours, six years. 129 days in the Army Reserve, was qualified as a Mounted Infantry Scout, and had his character assessed us " Exemplary; and honest, sober, and thoroughly hard-working soldier." Yet to-day this brave veteran, unprovided for by the pensions authorities, and wrecked in'health, has to exist on casual labour as best he can. llis case went to Chelsea, and Chelsea rolused relief for the usual trivial,, technical reason: in other words, although Sergeant Thornhill is, in point of fact-, ruined in health. Ihe was officially not '' Invalided." The only thing against him is that he was discharged under the wrong paragraph of the King's Regulations. That, and nothing more, writes " A.P. 11." in the Sunday News. Another " Old Contemptible. " who now finds himself outside the timelimit is Mr. William Phipps, late Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Southall. Midlesex. who .says:—"Since October 1922. I have been totally incapacitated and practically helpless. After having given the best, of my life for my country 1 am now a cripple from rheumatism, and I have no pension." Mr. Phipps served 12 years with the colours during his first period oi' service, including the South African War. ITo fought in all the arduous operations for the relief ot' Ladysmith, and earned the Queen's Medal with two clasps. lie was invalided home with enteric fever. He.re-enlisted for the Great War and went with reinforcements to the immortal 291 h Division at the Dardanelles. After the evacuation. Mr. Phipps returned to the base at Alexandria. Egypt, then was attached to the 37th Siege Rattery, and finally was sent to France in time for the Somnie offensive. Tie was invalided home with bronchitis, and on recovery was transferred to"tlie Garri-' son Artillery. He went to the front, again in March 1910 and fought in operations round Uelhune and Ypres. taking part in the final offensive toward Ghent. Me was then invalided once again with gastritis. Oil demobilisation Mr. Phipps endeavoured to carry on at his work, until taken seriously ill with rheumatoid arthritis, and he says, that lie has never been really well since then. His local doctor has certified that he has been under treatment for rheumatoid arthritis since June 1019. " and has been unable for months at a time to move without assistance, and lias been totally incapacitated for work since October 1922. In my opinion, his disability is the direct result of exposure in . the Great War." Mr. Phipps says that he applied for pension in 1920 and was unsuccessful. Ho appealed against this later, and was once again refused relief. Surely this is a case that might well be considered, irrespective of hard-and-fast time-limits.