Our Illustrations

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XXXIV, Issue 21, 27 May 1905, Page 22

Our Illustrations

AGED WARRIORS AT Till VETERANS’ HOME.

■ The charming pictures we give this week of some of the war-stained veterans who are spending the evening of their life in ease and comfort out at the delight fid Home at the Three Kings. es-‘ tablished by Lord Runfurly. are sure to be popular. One photograph depicts Veteran Lacy, n picturesque old sailor, spinning yarns, surrounded by an in forested group of girls and boys from Mr. O’Donogliue’s school, across the way. No wonder they- look interested. They are listening to an old gentleman who can tell them all about the

siege of Acre, which to their young minds con'veye the'-hleu of an almost insonipreiieusible distance irftiw. It is quite a long way from the end ofnhe history book which -they read out of at school, and *it is bard for them to believe that they are hearing the story from the lips of one who saw these great events with his own eyes. In another picture six of the most aged vet-, erans are seen chatting on one of the sunny walks in front of the Home. To give some idea of the fighting these old men have seen, we append a few notes about each, which were kindly supplied by Captain Archer, the courteous superintendent :

Veteran Lacy, who is 80 years old, was born at Exeter, and served in the Royal navy. He fought at the siege of Acre 05 years ago (1840). and holds war medals—two for Syria and Crimea, Turkish and Baltic, with two clasps. Veteran Lacy served in H.M.s Hastings, commanded by the father of His Excellency Admiral Sir A. Fanshawe, Commander-in-Chief Australian squadron. Veteran McConnell, late 58th Regiment. an Irishman, is 88 years'of age. He holds two New Zealand war medals - —one for 1846, when he was wounded, and another for 186.3. He is the oldest resident in the Home.

Veteran Theobald, late 70th - Regiment, is a Suffolk man, 84 years old. He served in the Indian Mutiny, ami Maori war at Taranaki and completed his full term of- duty. He holds the Indian, two New Zealand war niedals, long service, and good conduct. Veteran Wiggins, late Royal Artillery, is a native of Ireland, aged 68 years. He served in the Indian Muntiny, being present at 26 , At the storming of Delhi he was severely wounded in the leg. He holds the Mutiny war medal with clasp. Veteran - Grace, late 95th Regiment, a Wiltshire .man, is 72 years old. lie served first in the Crimea, fighting at Alma, Sebastopol. Balaclava, and at Inkerman, where he was badly wounded' in the head by a Cossack sabre and he received two gimshot wounds in the legs. On the Indian Mutiny breaking out. Veteran Grace was still hungry for more fighting, and fought all through the Mutiny under Captain (now FieldMarshal) Roberts. Veteran Grace is in possession of Crimea medal with four clasps, Turkish, and Mutiny. Veteran Clampett, late Bengal Fiisileers from Devonshire, is 71 years old. He was in the Burma campaign in 1853, Indian Mutiny in 1857, was present at the siege 'of Delhi, capture of Lucknow-,; and subsequently joined the 18th Royal

Irish Regiment for the Maori war in the Wanganui district, where he won “Distinguished Conduct in the Field” medal, having as comrade Captain Shaw (the late General Shaw, who then earned the Victoria Cross) in rescuing a soldier from the Maoris. Veteran Clampett is the proud possessor of four medals, viz., Burma, one clasp; Mutiny, two clasps; New Zealand and Distinguished Service medal.