Mark Brewer

Brilliant thanks.

Wow, are you able to provide any more details. It would be amazing if what is stated is in fact true. Mark

Chris, where the article on Waddell come from?

Colonel the Honorable Sir Robert Heaton Rhodes served as New Zealand’s Special Red Cross Commissioner in France and England during the War. A New Zealand born but Oxford educated barrister and solicitor, Rhodes had given up law and commenced farming after the dead of his father in 1884. A member of the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry he served as a Captain and Commander of F Squadron 8th Contingent New Zealand Mounted Rifles in South Africa in 1902, and later commanded the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Brigade. Rhodes had been a Member of Parliament since 1899 and was appointed Postmaster General and Minister of Health in Massey’s cabinet in 1912, but was forced to resign to facilitate the formation of a wartime coalition government in 1915. A long-time member of the St John’s Ambulance Association, he was asked to visit Egypt to investigate complaints about the treatment of New Zealand soldiers wounded on Gallipoli. Rhodes then travelled to London as New Zealand’s Special Commissioner of the New Zealand Branch of the British Red Cross Society, and was tireless in his supervision of their work in hospitals in France and England. In recognition of his wartime service Rhodes was appointed a Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur by the French President in March 1920. He was also appointed Minister of Defence in 1920, and was later councillor of honour of the New Zealand Red Cross Society and the First New Zealander to be appointed Bailiff Grand Cross of the Order of St John. G.W. Rice, Heaton Rhodes of Otahuna: The illustrated biography, Christchurch: Canterbury University Press, 2001. London Gazette, 8 March 1920, p.2868.

HI, please find attached the biographical paragraphs I have written up for the two Legion of Honour recipients discussed above. I have been less direct about Logan's conduct in Western Samoa than Rick, but agree with Rick's belief that Logan was a mad bugger. Colonel Robert Logan was a key figure in the wartime administration of Western Samoa and was subsequently decorated by the French Government. He remained the Military Administrator and British representative to Samoa from the initial invasion through until the end of the War and was awarded the Croix de Chevalier of the Légion d’honneur in December 1919 ‘in recognition of valuable services in Samoa during the first year of the military occupation of that territory’.A member of the New Zealand Staff Corps, Logan had immigrated to New Zealand from Scotland in 1881 and became a farmer and Mounted Rifles volunteer before rising to Command the Auckland Military District just prior to the War. In Samoa he tried to win local sentiment but struggled with complex economic and indigenous issues, and significantly mishandled the arrival of the influenza pandemic in November 1918 resulting in the death over of 7,500 people. Logan left Samoa in January 1919 and was condemned for negligence in his handling of the Samoan influenza outbreak by a New Zealand commission of inquiry. He was subsequently posted to the retired list in December 1919 and returned to Great Britain where he died in 1935. London Gazette, 15 December 1919, p.15578; W. McDonald, Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War 1914–1918, Napier: Helen McDonald, 2001, p.183. D. Munro, ‘Logan, Robert 1863 – 1935’, Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, 7 July 2005, http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/ (5 Jan 06).

Team, thanks again for all your help with research on Lt Col Waddell and answering general questions on French awards. I have updated Waddell's entry in Wikipedia so that he will hopefully receive greater recognition of his service. Perhaps someone could ensure it is accessable from the French Language side, so that his deeds will continue to be recognised by the people of France. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Waddell_(French_Foreign_Legion)

A brief summary of Waddell's Service, does this appear correct? New Zealand's greatest link with French forces during the Great War is through James Waddell, a Dunedin born officer in the French Foreign Legion. Waddell had joined the British Army as an officer and served in India and South Africa, but as a Colonial was heavily bullied by his upper class colleagues. He married a French woman and was granted the unusual honour of a commission in the French Foreign Legion on 25 April 1900. After early service in the Boxer Rebellion, Algeria and French Indo-China, Waddell landed at Gallipoli as a company commander in the R?giment de Marche d'Afrique in 1915. He soon distinguished himself by his courage and tenacity and was awarded the Croix de Chevalier of the L?gion d'honneur and the Croix de Guerre on 4 July 1915 for bravery in leading his Battalion in a costly attack against Turkish Trenches on 21 June. Waddell subsequently served on the Western Front and was promoted to the Croix de Officier on 10 June 1917 for his actions on the Somme where his personal example helped carry an attack on a village.[ii] By the end of the War he had been awarded the Croix de Guerre seven times and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Described as 'a courageous leader and one of the most respected of all the Legion's officers'[iii] Waddell was promoted to the Croix de Commandeur in 1920.[iv] He served in Tunisia until retiring in 1926, but remained in North Africa until returning to New Zealand in 1950. James Waddell passed away at Levin in 1954 and is buried in the RSA section of the Levin cemetery. Order No.73 of the Dardanelles Expeditionary Corps 4 July 1915, cited in E. Coppin, Victory Forever: "Waddell of Gallipoli" an amazing true story of the New Zealand Born Hero of the Foreign Legion, Levin: E. Coppin, 1957. [ii] Official Gazette 10 June 1917, cited in E. Coppin, 1957. [iii] J. Parker, Inside the Foreign Legion: The sensational story of the World's toughest Army, London: Judy Piatkus, 1998, p.69. [iv] E. Coppin, 1957.

Emily Peter?s Serbian Red Cross Medal 1913. Ashburton Museum.

Emily Peter?s medals; Serbian Samaritan Cross. Other medals displayed include her Queen?s South Africa Medal, 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal and and Serbian Red Cross Medal 1913. Ashburton Museum.

Mary O?Connor?s medals; Royal Red Cross (2nd Class), 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-1920, Victory Medal, Samaritan Cross, (medal naming not visible) Blenheim RSA.

Dr Jessie Scott?s medals; King George VI Coronation medal 1937, Order of St. Sava 4th class, British War Medal 1914-20 (not displayed in correct order of precedence, medal naming not visible) RNZAMC Museum.

NEW ZEALAND'S ASSOCIATION WITH SERBIAN AWARDS TO FEMALE MEDICAL PERSONNEL OF THE GREAT WAR By Mark Brewer The maority of Serbian honours, decorations and awards to New Zealanders during the Great War were to members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for actions on the Gallipoli Peninsular. However, a number were for New Zealand's small medical contribution to the Balkans campaign or those working for British medical organisations in Serbia. When Bulgaria entered the war on the side of the Central Powers in mid 1915 she quickly owerwhelmed the military forces of Serbia. The offensive forced a desperate retreat through mountainous terrain to the Albanian coast where the remnants were withdrawn by Allied naval forces. A new front was subsequently established in Macedonia by Anglo-French forces put a shore through the port of the city of Salonika in neutral (but pro-German) Greece.1 A number of female doctors had volunteered for service with the New Zealand Medical Corps or Royal Army Medical Corps at the outbreak of First World War, but neither service would take women at that time. Many therefore joined the Scottish Women's Hospital for Foreign Service or similar organisations and were sent to Serbia and Macedonia. They would soon be joined by other New Zealand nurses from Britain and members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force from Egypt. No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital was mobilised in October 1915 to deploy to Salonika and provide medical support to the wounded of the new battle area. The group departed Alexandria aboard the Marquette, a transport ship travelling as part of a British Ammunition Convoy. The Marquette was unfortunately torpedoed by the German U-boat U35 on 23 October 1915, resulting in the lost of 10 nurses of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and 18 members of the New Zealand Medical Corps. The survivors were taken to Salonika and while several kiwi nurses returned to Egypt or New Zealand to recuperate, many offered to remain and establish the New Zealand Stationary Hospital as planned. However, as military historians Sherayl Kendall and David Corbett record, 'their offer was not accepted and as conditions in Salonika were not good it was fortunate the nurses were sent back'.2 The Macedonian campaign remained a sideshow to the military efforts in Western Europe until the Bulgars were routed in September 1918, signalling the beginning of the collapse of the Central Powers. Due to the lengthy stalemate, battle casualties were not as heavy as those on other fronts, but sickness ? particularly malaria and dysentery ? affected a high proportion of the Salonika force.3 Of the medical personnel to receive awards on behalf of the King of Serbia during the Great War five were New Zealand women. Additionally, an Australian woman who had previously been attached to the New Zealand Medical Corps and a Hawaiian born Englishwomen, who both later settled in New Zealand, also received Serbian awards. According to Serbian regulations, all awards for war service were be worn with a plain red watered ribbon, but of the awards to New Zealand female Medical personnel located by the author, all are displayed with the original ribbon.4 Many of these recipients were also eligible for the Commemorative Medal for Albania (Serbian Retreat Medal)5 which was instituted in 1920, but no actual awards to New Zealanders have been confirmed. Doctor Jessie Anne SCOTT Dr. Jessie Scott was born at Brookside in 1883 and educated at Girls' High School, Christchurch. She travelled to Great Britain where she graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from Edinburgh University in 1912. She filled a number of hospital posts in England specialising in Women's health and completed a Diploma in Public Health at the University of London. At the outbreak of World War One Dr. Scott volunteered for service with the Royal Army Medical Corps, but after being turned down joined the Scottish Women's Hospital for Foreign Service as a surgeon and travelled to Serbia in 1915. Attached as a Medical Officer to the Serbian Army she was taken Prisoner of War in 1916 and held for three months before being released in Switzerland.6 Dr. Scott then returned to continue her attachment with the Serbian Army in 1917 and served for a period on the Russian front in Romania in 1918. She was attached as a surgeon to the 61st General Hospital Royal Army Medical Corps in Salonika in 1918 and France in 1919. For her services with Serbian forces during the War Dr. Scott was awarded the Serbian Order of St Sava 4th class. She returned to New Zealand and worked as a gynaecologist at Christchurch Hospital from 1926 to 1935. During the Second World War Dr. Scott served as deputy chairperson of the Christchurch branch of the Women's War Service Association.7 She died at Christchurch on 15 August 1959. Dr. Scott's medals are held in the collection of the Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps Museum, at Burnham Military Camp, Christchurch. Sister Ethel LEWIS Ethel Lewis had gained experience nursing in Otaki but had travelled overseas and was in England at the outbreak of World where she volunteered for overseas service. She worked for nine weeks in Belgium before being evacuated and subsequently travelling to Serbia where she worked with the 1st British Hospital attached to the 2nd Serbian Army.8 While working in the trenches she was slightly wounded by shrapnel and was decorated by King Peter for saving the life of a Serbian officer.9 When the German and Austrian armies forced a Serbian retreat she helped to evacuate the 400 patients through the mountains but only the hospital staff survived with Sister Lewis suffering frostbite. The conditions were exceptionally bad with one patient dying on her back after she had carried him two miles.10 After leaving Serbia Sister Lewis nursed in England before returning to New Zealand midway through the War. For her services in Serbia Sister Ethel Lewis was awarded the Serbian Order of the White Eagle (class unknown), Order of St Sava 3rd class and the Serbian Royal Red Cross 2nd class. She then returned to New Zealand and in 1917 joined the New Zealand Army Nursing Service.11 Doctor Agnes Lloyd BENNETT Dr. Agnes Bennett was born in Sydney, Australia in 1872 and educated at Cheltenham College, England and Dulwich and Sydney High Schools. She graduated from Sydney University with a Bachelor of Science in 1894 before travelling to Great Britain where she graduated as a Doctor of Medicine from Edinburgh University in 1911. Dr. Bennett volunteered for service at the outbreak of World War One and in 1915 was attached to the New Zealand Medical Corps in Egypt at Pont de Koubbeh and Choubra. She then led a unit of the Scottish Women's Hospital for Foreign Service which deployed to Salonika and Serbia in 1916, until she became sick and was invalided with malaria.12 For her services in Serbia Dr. Bennett was awarded the Order of St. Sava 3rd class and the medal of the Red Cross of Serbia. After her war service Dr. Bennett served as a Medical Officer with the Welsh Hospital at Netley before returning to New Zealand and serving as a physician in the children's ward of Wellington Hospital and as an obstetrician at St. Helen's Hospital Wellington. During the Second World War she worked with the Women's Volunteer Service in the United Kingdom and as a Medical Officer in Banbury, Woolwich and Radcliffe Hospitals. Dr. Bennett then lectured on hygiene to New Zealand servicewomen in New Zealand and in 1948 was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.13 She died at Wellington on 27 November 1960 aged 88. Doctor Mildred Ernestine STALEY Dr. Mildred Staley was born in Honolulu, the daughter of the Church of England's 1st Bishop of Hawaii. Educated at High School and University College Oxford, she later graduated as a Doctor from the London School of Medicine. Dr. Staley then served as the physician in charge of women's hospitals in Calcutta, India from 1893 to 1911 and then in Malaya from 1911 to 1913. She volunteered for service at the outbreak of World War One and worked in France from September 1914. Dr. Staley then served in Serbia in support of the Serbian Army from 1916 to 1917. Dr. Staley then worked again in France and in Syria with the Red Cross from 1918 to 1920. For her war service she was awarded the Serbian Order of St Sava (class unknown), and the French Croix de Guerre with Gold Star. After the War Dr. Staley worked as a physician at in Suva, Fiji from 1920 to 1923 and later settled in Auckland.14 Sister Mary O'CONNOR Mary O'Connor was born at Fairhall, Blenheim and trained as a nurse at Wairau Hospital. She joined the New Zealand Army as a Staff Nurse in 1915 and travelled to Egypt. Mary O'Connor subsequently saw service in Serbia and Albania, and served on the Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle from March to November 1916. She was promoted to the rank of Sister on 1 September 1916 and later served with No.3 New Zealand General Hospital, Codford, Wiltshire, England where she was brought to the notice of the British Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the war.15 Sister O'Connor returned to New Zealand in March 1919 but continued service with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service at Trentham until 1921. For her war service she was awarded the Royal Red Cross 2nd class16 and the Serbian Samaritan Cross.17 After leaving the military, Sister O'Connor worked for two years at a private hospital in Gisborne before moving to Taumarunui where she was Matron of the Taumarunui Hospital from 1925 to 1939. Mary O'Connor's medals are held in the collection of the Blenheim Returned Services Association. Sister Elizabeth Buchanan YOUNG Elizabeth Young trained as a nurse in New Plymouth, qualifying in 1913. She joined the New Zealand Army as a Staff Nurse in 1915 and travelled to Egypt. Elizabeth Young was with the No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital on board the Marquette on 23 October 1915 and survived the vessel being torpedoed.18 She subsequently served in Serbia and on the Hospital Ship Dunluce Castle with Mary O'Connor from March to November 1916. She was promoted to the rank of Sister on 1 August 1916 and was brought to the notice of the British Secretary of State for War for valuable services rendered in connection with the war in 1917. Sister Young returned to New Zealand in January 1919 but continued service with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service until 1920. For her war service she was awarded the Royal Red Cross 2nd class19 and the Serbian Samaritan Cross.20 Sister Young again served with the New Zealand Army Nursing Service from December 1925 until April 1934.21 Sister Emily Jane PETER Emily Peter was born in Australia but came to New Zealand with her parents in 1861and spent her early years on a farm in Mid-Canterbury. In 1891 she travelled to England to train as a nurse and worked at Westminster Hospital, London until returning to New Zealand in 1899.22 She was selected to lead a group of four nurses sent to support British Forces in South Africa by the New Zealand Government in January 1900, and was one of the first nurses to enter Ladysmith after its relief.23 Emily Peter turned to New Zealand in 1901 and worked at the Sanitarium Health Home in Papanui, Christchurch until leaving for England in 1914. When the Great War broke out she was unable to obtain a place in the military forces and instead joined Lady Paget's American Red Cross supported Serbian Relief Fund venture.24 Sister Peter travelled through Salonika to Skopje and later Vrnjatchka Banja where she nursed battle casualties, before succumbing to typhus just prior to the 'Great Retreat'.25 For her services in Serbia Sister Peter was awarded the Serbian Samaritan Cross and Serbain Red Cross Medal. In correspondence from the Serbian Relief Fund the Samaritan Cross was mistakenly referred to as the Serbian Cross of Charity26 and is of different manufacture than those awarded to Sister Lewis and Sister Young. After the War Emily Peter returned to New Zealand and died near Mount Somers in 1927. Sister Peter's medals are held in the collection of the Ashburton Museum. Endnotes 1. Brown, M. The Imperial War Museum book of the First World War: A great conflict recalled in previously unpublished letters, diaries and memoirs. London: Sidgwick and Jackson Ltd., 1991, p.170. 2. Kendall, S. & Corbett, D. New Zealand Military Nursing: A history of the RNZNC Boer War to Present Day. Auckland: Sherayl Kendall and David Corbett, 1990, pp.37-40. 3. Brown, op.cit., p.175. 4. Purves, A.A. Collecting Medals and Decorations (3rd Ed.). London: J.B. Hayward & Son, 1978, p.213. 5. Purves, A.A. The Medals, Decorations & Orders of the Great War 1914?1918. London: J.B Hayward & Son, 1975, p.69. 6. Information card: Dr Jessie Ann Scott, Serbian Order of St Sava. Royal New Zealand Army Medical Corps Museum, Burnham Military Camp. 7. Scholefield, G.H. (Ed.). Who's Who in New Zealand (5th Ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A. W. Reed, 1951, p.210. 8. Rogers, A., While you're away: New Zealand Nurses at War 1899 ? 1948, Auckland: Auckland University Press, 2003, p.168. 9. Kendall & Corbett, op cit, p.83. 10. Rogers, A., op cit., p.168. 11. ibid, p.83. 12. Scholefield, G.H. (Ed.). Who's Who in New Zealand (3rd Ed.). Wellington: The Rangatira Press, 1932, p.97. 13. Scholefield, G.H. (Ed.). Who's Who in New Zealand (5th Ed.). Wellington: A.H. & A. W. Reed, 1951, p.22. 14. Scholefield, G.H., 1932, op cit, p.321. 15. Scholefield, G.H. (Ed.). Who's Who in New Zealand (4th Ed.). Wellington: The Rangatira Press, 1941, p.268. 16. London Gazette 31 July 1919, p.9830. 17. London Gazette 7 May 1920, p.5230. 18. Studholme, J. (Ed.). Some Records of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force: Record of Officers and Others. Wellington: W.A.G. Skinner, Government Printer, 1928. 19. London Gazette 31 July 1919, p.9830. 20. London Gazette 7 May 1920, p.5230. 21. Kendall & Corbett, op cit, p.79. 22. Woodward, J and Mitchell, G. A Nurse at War: Emily Peter 1858 ? 1927. Christchurch: Te Waihora Press, 2008, pp. 23?63. 23. Kendall & Corbett, op cit, pp.5?6. 24. Rogers, op cit, p.167. 25. Woodward and Mitchell, op cit, pp.108?121. 26. ibid, p.158.

The rest.

Some of the award citations from the information I found about Waddell.

Cheers Veteran. The medal group is held in the Omaka Aviation Heritage Centre here in New Zealand. It appears in the thread on the Croix de Guerre, but here is a close up of the label denoting to whom they were awarded. Mark.