NOTABLE SOLDER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21783, 24 April 1934, Page 13

NOTABLE SOLDER

VISIT TO DOMINION SIR WILLIAM MARSHALL GALLIPOLI DAYS RECALLED A link with the stirring days of the Ansae landing at Gallipoli is provided in the arrival in Auckland of Lieu-tenant-General Sir William Marshall, K.C.8., K.C.5.1., G.C.M.G., in the course of a tour of New Zealand. Sir William commanded the S7t.li Brigade of the famous 29th Division at Gallipoli, and for a period was in temporary command of the division.

Sir William, who is accompanied by Lady Marshall, has spent about five months in the Dominion, and will leave Auckland on his return to England by the Aorangi on May 1. He stated yesterday that he had been spending a fishing holiday and had enjoyed the sport, although he had been told that it had not been a good year for fishing.

Most of his fishing was done in the rivers, as he preferred this to lake fishing. He had travelled through both islands and had enjoyed the fishing and the scenery as well. It was his intention to travel Home by way of Canada, as he had been invited to visit two Canadian regiments of which he was honorary colonel. While not desiring to express an opinion on defence matters, Sir William said all units of the Empire should cleave together or they were bound to fall. He paid a tribute to the fighting qualities of the New Zealand troops in the Great War and said that during his tour of New Zealand he had been very much interested in seeing the Mounted Rifles in camp. Sir William, who has been colonel of the Sherwood Foresters since 1930, has an outstanding military record. His reminiscences of active service in many lands aro contained in his "Memories of Four Fronts," published in 1929. He served on the north-west frontier of India in 1897-9S, with the Malakand Field Force and the Tirah Expedition. In the South African War he served with the mounted infantry and in command of a mobile column, being twice wounded and mentioned in despatches twice.

During the Great War Sir William saw service on several fronts. In 1914-15 he commanded the Ist Sherwood Foresters in France, then, after commanding the 87th Brigade at Gallipoli, was promoted major-general and commanded successively the 42nd, 29th and 53rd Divisions. He was present at the original landing at Gallipoli and also at the final evacuation.

At Salonika, in 1916, he commanded the 27th Division, his next command being that of the 3rd Indian Army Corps in Mesopotamia, 1916-17. From 1917 to 1919 he was general officer commanding-in-chief of the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force, and from 1919 to 1923 general officer commanding-in-chief. Southern Command, India. He retired in 1924. In the course, of the Great War he was wounded twice and mentioned in despatches seven times. Sir William intends to return to New Zealand for the fishing next October.