NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED RIFLES
NEWSLETTERS AND WEBPAGE UPDATES
comments from webmaster Steve Butler
For the first time in 87 years the Association makes available ARTHUR BRISCOE MOORE'S book "The Mounted Riflemen of Sinai and Palestine". This free download above has no photographs included from the original 1920's book. If you find this book informative we are asking for a $4 donation to keep making this site available on the net.
Donations to the NZMRA Society Bankers: Kiwibank
Account number: 38-9004-0796019-00



SITE MAP

 


21st Anniversary issue
penny and half-penny
stamps 1936.






50th Anniversary issue
4 penny and 5 penny
stamps 1965.







NZMR 24th
Reinforcements Badge.


WOW! ...And the photographs just keep coming!


The 90th Anniversary of the Battle of AYUN KARA is coming up on the 14th November, and with celebrations being planned in the old Jewish settlement of RICHON LE ZION in Israel next month, it seemed more than luck when Graham Bines of Epsom telephoned after seeing our newspaper article. He told me he had perhaps a few items that we could process for the Associations records. One photo of interest he said "Is a group photo of all the Mounted Rifles Signals Troop and Engineers, either on horseback or with their newly introduced motor-cycles, taken at Richon Le Zion in November 1918."
Immediately I could just about hear Gal Shaine (NZMRA member) yelling at me to get round immediately to Graham's house to see what he had. Gal is in charge of some of the promotions being presented at the Israeli function and is desperately looking for material to display. I'm sure he is going to be pleased with a full sized image coming his way in the next 24 hours. (right: closer view.)
Graham's father was Trooper 43716 ALFRED BINES signaler with the NZMR. He left New Zealand on the HMT DEVIC in 1917 and served two years 184 days before returning home on the ULIMAROA in 1919. He collected a number of photographs of events and his mates that I intend to have for display in the near future - not all as spectacular as this reduced image above taken from an 11 inch long group strip shot.

click on PDF icon to download full image.

ANOTHER COUPLE OF OUR AUSSIE COUSINS JOIN THE LIST!
 I suspect because of the rural work and seasonal nature of our two countries farming procedures at the turn of the twentieth century, many New Zealanders and Australians often plied their trades as bushmen, shearers, gum-diggers and scrub cutters between the two countries. It is apparent that they were very comfortable about living in each others homelands, perhaps it was more a case of being joint pioneers rather than being "Aussies and Kiwis". On our Forum "Australians who served with the NZEF" we have discussed a number of those men that enlisted to fight from their "second" homeland in New Zealand.

These last ten days I have had many telephone calls from interested Aucklanders since they have read a recent article in the Suburban newspapers. The item covered the collection of the James McCarroll Diary that we have now posted here on the site. The article also called for the opportunity for our Association to digitally record and publish on the internet their readers family histories of the men of the NZMR. Among the generous contacts that has come to us is this letter and photograph from Graeme Booth, who after an informative talk on the phone sent these items relating to his father and uncle, Australian brothers, who served with the North Auckland Mounted Rifles:

Hello Steve

It was a delight to talk with you yesterday and thank you so much for the work you are doing to preserve the history of the Mounted Rifles.

My father, Norman Douglas Booth, commenced his duty with the Mounted Rifles as a trooper on 23/09/1916 and was discharged as a sapper on 07/06/1919, according to his discharge certificate. I can't find his regimental number at present but I do have it.

I'm a bit pressed for time today so I'll attach just one picture of my father and his brother Andrew in Sydney not long after meeting up there. Andrew was the older brother who was returning home after being wounded at Gallipoli. My Dad was meant to be back in New Zealand running the family farm - hence the : " What in the bloody hell do you think you are doing here ?" comment.

My Dad is wearing the peaked cap.

I have a number of other pictures which I will send you.

Graeme Booth

...And just to show that traffic across the Tasman was not all one way, here is Maori warrior Trooper R Tuhera Number 3139 of the Australain Light Horse.

Robert was originally from Otaki. He served in the Middle East arriving with the 26th Reinforcements in 1916. Trooper Tuhera is listed as "Died of Disease" 12th September 1918.

BRISCOE MOORE'S MAPS OF SINAI PALESTINE
NZMR 1916 -1919




WAIKATO MAN ON GALLIPOLI
Following on from the recent Newspaper articles we are now posting the first of the diaries that we have received. In this case a selection of fascinating letters by Corporal Greville Garland back to the family at home during the Gallipoli Campaign. Grev, as he signed his letters, continued on into Sinai and Palestine with his trusted friend and steed - "Shamrock". Link through the "Troopers Page" to read his letters.


A bit of detective work allows the Association to track down the location of where this photograph above was taken all those years ago.

We have upgraded our Forum with a new software package.
Please change your BOOKMARK and go to:
http://www.nzmr.org/phpBB3



The NZMR Association has to say a big thank you to FAIRFAX Media who through their Suburban Newspaers Ltd have run the human interest story on Heather Hamilton loaning her grandfathers dairies to the Association to copy here on the internet. Over the last two weeks different suburban papers have picked up the story, starting with the" Rodney Times", as the days have past in the "Manukau Courier" and now an extended story in the "Harbour News". I know this has been the case as the telephone has run non stop for two weeks. The callers coming from the different areas as the paper is delivered. To all the people who have rung and are now reading this site - Thank You. To the people who spoke to me about lending diaries, photographs and other personal papers I will keep in touch - however with the influx of interest and material I would like to have and process each diary just one at a time.