OLD VETERAN PASSES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17185, 15 February 1930, Page 5

OLD VETERAN PASSES

MR. “ROWLEY” HILL SERVICE IN MANY LANDS (Par Press Association.) AUCKLAND, this day. Mr. iGeorge liill, better known as Trooper “Rowley” Hill, Auckland’s old veteran, died at Takapuna this mornmg, aged 95 years. He- fought with Uaribaidi, was at Sebastopol, .and also With Peel's Brigade in the Indiau Mutiny at the relief of Lucknow, and a member of Von Tempsky’s Forest Rangers in the Maori War. Borh at Dawlish, Devonshire, tho late Mr. Hill entered the service as a boy on H.M.S. Britannia, in August, 1861. • His first action was in the Baltic operations agaiu3t the Russians during the Crimean War. He served under Sir Charles Napier in the frigate Leopard. Mr. Hill came out of the war with a Baltic medal and a Crimean .medal and bar, tije latter being gained during the taking of Sebastopol. In 1855 be was awarded the Turkish medul. When the Indian Mutiny broke out, Mr. Hill was stationed on H.M.S. Shau- ■ non at Hongkong, when that vessel was > ordered to India, and he was a member of the naval detachment which was i* ordered ashore. He was attached to the , brigade which took such a great part in the Relief of Lucknow and the subsequent capture of tho city, and gained a medal and bar on each occasion. Ho was wounded at Lucknow and Cawnpore. Later, when his ship was in ■ Mediterranean waters, Mr. Hill, with several others, temporarily deserted the navy, and served on land with Garibaldi’s army in the war for Italian liberation. He saw service at Palermo, Capua ana in the Straits of Messina. in 1864 Mr. Hill came to Now Zealand, in the troopship. Empress, which : was bringing soldiers to tight in the 'Maori W&s. When the vessel anchored ' in the Waitemata harbor, the craving to see more fighting was too strong for him, and he jumped overboard and Swam ashore at daybreak, in order to -enlist. He joined up wi,th Major Von Forest Rangers, and took : oart in 15 engagements with the Maoris, including several skirmishes with Te Kooti He ginned the New Zealand "IfrOBS the Maori War Medal and the New ’Zealand long -service and good con-1 y In addition to these medals, Mr. Hill had two which were awarded by the Royal Humane Society for saving life.