SOUTH AFRICAN VETERAN FOUND DEAD

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 1, 3 January 1939, Page 8

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERAN FOUND DEAD

OLD RIFLE BESIDE HIM

l Per Press Aseoei.tion.l WELLINGTON, Jan. 2. The body of a highly esteemed member ot the Wellington branch of the South African War Veterans’ Association, Charles Edgar Boult, aged 57, of 61 Abel Smith Street, Wellington, was found in a building in Lambton Quay, at about 4 o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Boult had bullet wounds in the head and an old .303 rifle, used in the South African war, was found lying beside the body. Boult had been cleaning out the building and was dressed in working clothes. The rifle found by the body was one of a number on display in the building. Boult, who had been in ill health for some time, was the secretary of the Wellington branch of South African War Veterans’ Association and was regarded as a man of outstanding character. He will be given a military funeral from St. Peter’s Church, Wellington, to-mor-row. Educated in Wairarapa, Boult joined the 7th. N.Z. Contingent to the Boer War at the age of 19 and served in South Africa as a corporal till the end of the war in 1902. On his return to the Dominion he joined the Royal N.Z. artillery and during the war served as a divisional sergeantmajor in Otago Military district. At the end of the war he was transferred to the army ordinance corps at Featherston and later to Trentham where he served till he was retired as medically unfit in 1935. Boult held four military medals: Queen’s medal for the South African war, long service medal for the Royal N.Z. artillery and meritorious service medal for N.Z. army ordinance corps. He leaves a widow and four sons: John Boult, Colin Boult, Archie Boult (all Lower Hutt) and Leslie Boult (Trentham), a daughter, Mrs. Jean O'Brian (Wellington), a brother, Arthur Boult (Wellington) and a stepsister, Mrs. W. Andrews (Christchurch).