OLD CONTEMPTIBLES

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1929, Page 20

OLD CONTEMPTIBLES

VETERANS IN ILL-HEALTH. UNABLE TO OBTAIN PENSIONS. Living in one room in London is a veteran “Old Contemptible,” Sergeant Robert Thornhill, late of. West Yorkshire Regiment, who was awarded the Military Medal by his Corps commander for great gallantry in April. 1917. Sergeant Thornhill rescued." a wounded comrade from tho German wire, thus preventing the enemy from obtaining any identification. The 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 bad health, partly as the result of a severe bullet wound in his spine, which he received, on December-14, 1914, and partly as tho result of malaria, from which he suffered in India and Burma, and ho lias no pension. Sergeant Thornhill was in hospital for tlnee months with his wound, and there was an occasion during the war when, according to his "wife, he was told that he could remain at home and be pensioned off. “He refused to do this,” says* Airs. Thornhill, “and wont to the front once more. Aly husband has done his best for his country, and yet he. has no pension.” It was. nearly thirty years ago that Sergeaiit Thornhill enlisted—as far back as 1901—and was soon fighting in the Boer War, for which he earned the Queen’s Aledal "with three clasps. He then went to India, and served in that country and Burma, for upwards of six years. He was mobilised, for the Great War, and went to tho front with the “Old Contemptibles,” earning the Alons Star and fighting clasp,, the British War Medal, and the Victory Aledal.

A THOROUGH SOLDIER. According to his discharge certificates, Sergeant Thornhill not only has to his credit five medals and. four clasps, but he served for 12 years, *221 days with the colours, 6 years, 129 days in the Anny Reserve, was qualified as a Mounted Infantry Scout, and had his character assessed as “Exemplary; and honest, sober, and thoroughly hard-working soldier.”

Yet to-day this brave veteran, unprovided for by tho pensions authorities, and wrecked in health, has to exist on casual labour as best he can. His Case went to Chelsea, and Chelsea refused relief for the usual trivial, technical reason; in other words, although Sergeant Thornhill is, in point of fact, ruined in health, he 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.H.” in the Suriclay News.

GAVE THE BEST OF HIS LIFE. Another “Old Contemptible” who now finds liimeslf outside the time limit is Mr, William Phipps, late Royal Welsh Fusiliers, Southall, Middlesex, who says: “Since October, 1922, I have been totallyincapacitated and practically helpless. After having given the best of my life for my country I am now a cripple from rheumatism, and I have no pension.” Mr. Phipps served twelve years with the colours during his first period of service, including the South African War. He fought in all the ardous operations for the relief of Ladysmith, arid earned the Queen’s Medal with two clasps. He was invalided home with enteric fever.

He re-enlisted for the Great War, and went with reinforcements to the immortal 29th Division at £he Dardanelles. After the evacuation, Mr. Phipps returned to the base at Alexandria, Egypt, the i was attached to the 37th Siege Battery, and was finally sent to France in time for the Somme offensive. He was invalided home with bronchitis, and on recovery was transferred to the Garrison / illery. Ho went to the front again in March, 1918, and fought in operations round Bethune and Ypres, taking part in tin final offensive toward Ghent. He was then invalided once again with gastritis.

On demobilisation, Mr. Phipps endeavoured to carry on at his work, until taken seriously ill with rheumatoid arthritis, and he says, that has never been really well since then. His local doctor has certified that he has been under treatment for rheumatoid arthritris since June, 1919, “and has been unable for months at a time to move without assistance, and has been totally incapacitated for work since October, 19z2. 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. He 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.