GIVEN KING’S MEDAL

Taranaki Daily News, 11 May 1935, Page 8

GIVEN KING’S MEDAL

LIEUT.-COL. T. L. GIBBS’ RECORD. I VARIED MILITARY CAREER. , Lieut.-Col. T. L. Gibbs, V.D., Te Popo, the present commander of the Q.A.M.R., who has been awarded the King’s Silver Jubilee Medal, started his military career in the ranks of the cadets of the Christchurch Boys’ High School. Since then he has had a varied ca~eer including active service during the war. On leaving chcol he joined the Canterbury Mounted Rifles as a trooper in the old volunteer days. He was on parade wnen the present K ; ng inspected the troops in Hagley Park, Christchurch. He rose to the rank of sergeant but on leaving Christchurch for the south z he resigned from the Canterbury Mounteds. At the: commencement ?f the Territorial scheme he was appointed a second lieutenant and placed in charge of the Canterbury ' Mounted Rifle signal troop at Hinds. He held this position until the outbreak of the' Great War when he volunteered and was appointed signalling officer to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles;. N.Z.E.F., Main Body. , Lieut.-Col. Gibbs sailed from New Zealand on the troopship Tahiti and during the voyage he was in charge of signals on the ship. In Egypt extensive training with signallers was. carried / out. Lieut-CoL Gibbs embarked with the Mounted Rifles on the Graptully Castle for Gallipoli and landed on May 12, where he was a signalling officer until he was wounded by shrapnel in the face and arm on July 2 and was evacuated to hospital at Cairo. Returning to Anzac on August 21, he took over the duties of adjutant of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, Cai|;. Blair, '.ne former adjutant, having been wounded. After the August fighting he was the only officer remaining with the regiment.

On September 2 the j.giment left Gallipoli for a spell at Lemnos with only 32 other ranks—all that were left of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Lieut.-Col. Gibbs, who was given the temporary rank of captain, continued to carry out the duties of adjutant. He came off Gallipoli on the last night of the evacuation.

Ort returning to Cairo he; assisted with tiie reorganisation of the regiment under the command of Major J. H. Whyte, D.C.M. (novz Col. Whyte, D. 5.0., D.C.M.). On May 11, 1917, Lieut. Col. Gibbs’ rank of captain and appointment as adjutant were confirmed.

In the Jordan’ Valley he was attached to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade headquarters and carried out the duties of staff captain. On the completion of these duties he was appointed assistant commandant in Cairo, where he also ..carried out the duties of commandant of the. New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt and was mentioned in dispatches by General Allenby, com-mander-in-chief. . ’ . ' At the conclusion of the war Lieuti-Col. Gibbs returned to New Zealand as adjutant of the troopship Ellenga, the last troopship to leave Egypt. He was placed on the retired list in New Zealand but < was recalled t j take charge of the signal troop of the Q.A.M.R. at Toko. Lieut.Col. Gibbs held that tposition till he was promoted major and appointed second in command of the regiment. In <1931 he was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces officers’ decoration. On June 1, 1933, he succeeded Lieut.-Col. J. B. Davis, V.D., as commander of the Queen Alexandra Mount/ Rifles, with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. •