Brothers in arms
Anyone recognize the soldier on the left?
Does anybody out there recognize the soldier on the left?
The mystery of his identity was brought to The Telegram from Damien Fenton, a research fellow with the First World War Centenary History Series at Massey University in New Zealand.
The man on the right in the photograph sent by Fenton shows a trooper from the 2nd Wellington West Coast Squadron of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. His attire including the collar badges, slouch hat and leather riding gaiters worn by the New Zealand soldier identified him as such, according to Fenton.
The Newfoundland Regiment served at Gallipoli in the First World War with the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC). Bonds were formed between the soliders who came from such different parts of the world but fought for the same cause.
“The attached photograph is a rare example of this bond made real,” Fenton says through email correspondence with The Telegram. “I suspect that these two men are both Gallipoli veterans who have become friends while recovering from either wounds or illness in a military hospital in England, and who, both having sufficiently recovered to be discharged back to their respective units, have had this photo taken together before they part ways.”
Fenton believes this is the most likely scenario for several reasons. The back of the photo says it was produced by, Emberson and Sons, a British photography business located in Belgravia, London. Because the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment was never based in the United Kingdom during the war, Fenton says the only way for a New Zealander wearing the uniform of the Wellington Mounted Rifles to find himself in London was if wounded or struck down by disease and taken to the U.K. to recover.
Fenton asked The Telegram for help to identify the Newfoundland Regiment soldier. Anything that can be learned about him will be well received in both hemispheres. Archivists at Memorial University are working on a project called “Lasting Remembrance” — compiling a detailed account of the lives of the First 500 from the Royal Newfoundland Regiment.
“With the Centenary of the Gallipoli landings only six or so weeks away it also seemed an opportune moment to approach you about this — it’s going to be a huge event here in New Zealand, Australia and of course, over at Gallipoli itself where it has taken on almost as much significance for the Turks as it has for us,” Fenton writes.
Anybody who may know the identity of the soldier can contact The Telegram.