WAR MYSTERY SOLVED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 20108, 29 March 1928, Page 7

WAR MYSTERY SOLVED

SOLDIER S IDENTITY

Sydney Mental Patient For Eleven Years TARANAKI MAN’S RETURN FROM THE MISSING. i i-’c-r j WELLINGTON, March 28. Tor the past eleven years there has has been in the Callon Park Mental Hospital, Sydney, a soldier, whose identity has been a mystery. Official records show that the patient, dressed in an Australian soldier s hat and civilian elomea, was lound wandering in a London street at the height of the war. Ha told the authorities he was an Australian soldier, but beyond that he could remember nothing.

Tne Australian Repatriation Dcoartment had disowned him, declar.n * IT, at a search of the whole of the • ian Imperial Force enlistments failed to luenLfy aim as an Australian.

Aitef’ all these >(ars he appears to have been identified as a New Zealander, George Thomas McQuay, a native of Auckland. On Monday a visitor from Sydney was received by the Base Records Office of the Defence Department, Wellington. This visitor had certain particulars relating to an unknown soldier in an Australian hospital who it is thought may be a New Zealander. Details relating to the man are contained in a circular issued by the Returned Sailors and Soldiers’ Imperial League of Australia, and give the photograph of a man with details of weight, age and appearance. Acting under instructions from the Adjutant-General, the Records Office immediately proceeded with inquiries. After communication with Australia by cable yesterday afternoon, a reply was received this morning from Sydney giving details of a man corresponding with the circular received on Monday afternoon, and also his mother’s address at Orlando Street, Stratford, Taranaki. Twice Identified. It was also stated that there arc now two persons who have identified the man as McQuay. A search of records soon brought forward the file of George Thomas McQuay. He was born at Auckland on August 25, 1886, and on February 17, 1915, he enlisted for service with the N.Z. Expeditionary Force. He was at the time a carpenter employed by Mr J. W. Boon, of Stratford. Tho personal description of McQuay at the date of attestation tallies with that of the circular just issued in Australia in most particulars except that there were moro tattoo marks on his left arm than arc noted on his military file of J 91*5.

Mr W. E. Porter, of Canberra, has testified, however, that he tattooed the upper part of McQuay’s arm with marks corresponding with those on the man in the Australian Hospital. In the circular from the Commonwealth it is stated that the unknown patient enlisted at the outbreak of the war and went away with the first convoy in October, 1914.

This, however, does not check up with the records file, which utates that McQuay went into camp on February 16, 1915, and embarked on June 13 of the same year. A perusal of the file reveals that he landed in Egypt and on September 19, 1915, he joined his unit, tho Auckland Infantry Battalion at. the Dardanelles on November 2, 1915. McQuay was admitted to the field ambulance at Mudros, suffering from bronchitis, in April, 1916. He embarked on the Franconia at Port Said for France and in July, 1916, at Armentiers, 12 years and nine months ago, he failed to report. Since then the New Zealand Defence Department has had no knowledge of his movements.

Now, long after hope had been abandoned of any information ever being had concerning McQuay, advice comes from Australia that indicates that the lost man may be alive.

After consideration and confirmation of certain details, it was decided to communicate with tho parents, the mother, at the address given in the cable and tho father at Waihou. They have been urged, however, not to become hopeful, as investigations arc not yet complete. The Now Zealand Government’s agent in Sydney has been asked to obtain further particulars of the soldier and the Defence Department has also asked the Australian military authorities to furnish particulars as to how McQuay came under their control. Nothing Official Yet. The officer in charge of the Base Records Office on being asked if the Australian authorities had not during the past ten years notified his officer of the unknown patient and requested that efforts to identify him should be made, stated that the first intimation, he received about, there being such a patient was on Monday last. Up to the present time, no official communicat on of any kind has been received .fTm Australia regarding McQuay. He further stated that many thousands of requests for information had been received hut he could not remember that any from the Australian authorities with ’•egard to this case had been received. As the case stands at present, there is faint hope that the missing soldier may return to his father and mother.

HER_SON PHOTOGRAPH IDENTIFIED MOTHER HAS NO DOUBTS. [ Per Preus Asso.iation. ] NEW PLYMOUTH, March 2U A photograph stated to have bee® taken of tho unknown soldier in the mental hospital in Sydney and forwarded to Wellington for identification in New Zealand was brought to Stratford this evening and handed to Mrs Robert McQuay. She immediately identified it as a photograph of her son. Thomas George McQuay. .She says that he has changed considerably since she . last saw him in 1915, but he is with- I l out doubt her son.