VETERAN SOLDIER

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19364, 30 June 1937, Page 17

VETERAN SOLDIER

►passing OP ME. M. McRAE L SERVICE IN TWO WARS E. K.v A veteran soldier with a service reIScord in both the South African War fcand the Great War, Mr. Murdoch McIfßae, died at the Cook Hospital thi P morning, aged 71 years. The deceased r had been a patient in hospital for the V past month and had suffered con- ’ siderably ever since the last war from ‘ illness contracted while on active service. * The late Mr. Mcßae was born m Victoria, being one of seven brothers (•who served in the South African and ■the Great wars. He served with the Scottish Horse in South Africa. Dn one of the late Sir Ernest Shackleton’s expeditions to the Antarctic Mr. ‘Mcßae was a steward on the Nimrod. t- Mr. Mcßae, first came to New ZeaI land in 1907 and just before the Great t War he was resident in Hastings, where he was a prominent member of - the Legion of Frontiersmen. f Served With Legion of Frontiersmen • Upon the outbreak of hostilities in 41914 Mr. Mcßae journeyed to England B-and joined up with the Legion of in the Homeland. When •on the point of departing for France, ; ,the Frontiersmen were transferred to r the 25th service battalion of the Royal Fusiliers, which was the first unit of Kitchener’s Army to be used overseas. The 25th battalion, of which the under Colonel Driscoll, the larger section, was dispatched to German West Africa in ray, 1915. Disease caused the deaths of .most "of the men, and of the 1170 in the battalion there remained only 43 fit Eor service by December, 1910, Mr. iJcEae being one of those affected. Suffered from the complaint ever Since. Towards, the end of the war he returned to New Zealand to find cmiployment on stations on the East Coast, but residing mainly in the Poverty Bay district. For two years KriOr to 1934 he was custodian of the latakaoa County Hospital, after that Institution had been closed. He was -also custodian of St. Francis’ House, ’Gisborne, during the last 18 months pf the institution's existence. | Keen Member of R.S.A. C The late Mr. Mcßae was a man of independent will and was highly respected by his fellow ex-servicemen, 'from whose ranks he will be greatly Jmissed. He was a keen member of khe Returned Soldiers’ Association fend also belonged to the Legion of Frontiersmen and the South African .■War Veterans’ Association in Gisborne. He leaves no relatives'in New •Zealand, but has several brothers re- . siding in Australia. 1 A short service will be held in private chapel, Williams ■street, at 1.45 p.m. to-morrow, after . which the funeral will depart for the Taruheru cemetery.