COLONEL HENRY

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1536, 7 August 1901, Page 64

COLONEL HENRY

THE NEW COMMANDANT.

Colonel St. George Charles Henry, C. 8., New Zealand’s new Commandant, is one of the younger officers who has been, brought np in the Soudan school under Lord Kitchener. He was born in Decejnber, 1860, and is an Irishman from Galway. Educated at Haileybury and tho Royal Military College, Sandhurst, he entered the army as second lieutenant in the Northumberland Ensiliers in January, 1880. He proved himself a smart regimental officer, and in due time was offered and accepted the adjutancy of his battalion, adding to his reputation for smartness, so that when he applied for service in the Egyptian Army, in 1896, he was giadlj r accepted by Sir H. H. Kitohenor. Under that leader he took part in the D ng la campaign of 1896 a 3 a captain and second in command of the Camel Corps, being present at Firket Hafr, and Dongola. For his services he obtained mention in despatches, the British medal and the Khedive’s medal with clasps for Firket and Hafr. In 1897 he took part m the operations of the Camel Corps iri the Bayuda desert. Next year Captain Henry shared in the advance up the Nile, but was rot present at the battle of Atbara for he was engaged in the operations on th® west bank of the Nile with Major.Tudway. With the Camel Corps Captain Henry shared in the ad vance upon Khartoum and the batt’e of Omdurman, was mentioned in desp .tches, and received the Omdurman clasp to the Khedive’s medal. Being senior captain of his- regiment a bievet majeritv would have meant hardly any reward, as he might become substantive major at any moment, so he was noted for promotion to a brevet lieutenantcol upon becoming a regimental major, which occurred on July sth, 1899, his brevet being dated next day. In the meantime he had succeeded to the command of the Camel Corps upon the resignation of Major Tudway. At the head of the Camel Corps Lieutenant-Colonel Henry took part in the operations which led to the final defeat and death of 1 he Khalifa in November, 1899, for which services he was mentioned in de patches and received a brev-et-co onelcy in March, 1900. In the meantime lie had started for South Africa, being summoned by his old chief, Lord Kitchener. Upon arrival he was given the command of a mounted infantry corps in Co’on:] Hannay’s Brigade. He was wi k this brigade, which was the first to cr ss the Reit in the advance upon Kimberley. Colonel Hannay was killed in the passage of the river, and Colonel Henry was wounded and taken prisoner. Three days later when the British occupied Ja. cobsdal Colo el Henry was recovered in the hospital there. Upon recovery he was appointed to the Fourth Mounted Inf an. try Corps, which included two strong contingents of Australians. At the head of the Fourth Corps Colonel Henry led the advance upon Pretoria, and was the first to cross'the Vaal, being just in time to save the great rail we v bridge at Vifpen’s drift from destruction. He also took part in the capture of Johannesburg and Pretoria, a"d in subsequent ope-atmns, and in the first African Honours Gazette” wa3 created a Companion of the Bath.

The Alexandra Palace and Park, as a municipal pleasure resort, which hav® been acquired under Act of Parliament by the Middlesex County Council and several local authorities, have been -formally declared free and open to th® public for ever. The palace and park cf 173 acres were secured at a cost of £150,000, less than half the original eost of the buildings themselves.