8/1751 Private Albert Hickey, 8/12/1887-13/10/1948.

THE COURTS-TO-DAY

SUPREME COURT.—CRIMINAL.

(Before His Honor Mr Justice Williams.) 

UP FOR SENTENCE. Richard Porter (23) and Albert Hickey (22) appeared for sentence upon a confession of having, on the 24th May, at Outram, broken and entered the shop of Hugh Thompson and stolen therefrom 12lb of sausages, value 6s. Mr Macassey, representing the Crown, said that the prisoners were laborers, both born in Dunedin. Nothing was previously known against either of them, the crime seemed to have been the result of a drunken spree. The men had been in gaol since the 26th May. The report of the Probation Officer at Outram was of a favorable character.

His Honor, after perusing the papers, said the affair seemed to be more in the nature of a drunken spree than a serious intention to commit a crime. Looking at the character of the accused, it was a case for probation. The accused would be admitted to probation for nine months. One condition would be that they abstained altogether from intoxicating liquors, and another condition that within two months they paid £2 14s towards the costs of the prosecution.  -Evening Star, 15/6/1910.

So much for Albert Hickey's first public appearance in the papers of the day.  His next was of a more serious nature, in the list of men following this report...

FOURTH INFANTRY REINFORCEMENTS.

ANSWERING THEIR COUNTRY'S CALL. 

AN ENTHUSIASTIC SEND-OFF. 

The men who left Dunedin on Monday morning on their way to serve their country, either in the tropical heat of Samoa or in the yet fiercer heat of the conflict now raging in Europe, will take with them pleasant recollections of the ovation accorded them at the commencement of their long journey. They were favoured with the most perfect weather, and their presence in the Garrison Hall early collected a crowd in the lower part of Dowling street. Definite arrangements for the farewell had on this occasion been carefully planned beforehand by the ladies of the Recruiting Committee and Mr A. Washer, and the difference made by a little thoughtful organisation amply repaid the effort. 

At 11 o’clock the men were drawn up in ranks inside the Garrison Hall. In front were those going into training for Egypt, and, perchance, Germany, while behind them stood the squad of older men who had volunteered for duty in Samoa. Only a few of them showed by their uniform that they belonged to the Territorials. Most have yet to learn the first rudiments of drill, but they formed their lines neatly and attended to instructions with a businesslike seriousness that promises to lighten the task of their instructors at Trentham. All types and grades of society seemed to be represented in the ranks, and doubtless the motives that prompted the volunteering have been very varied. None, however, could mistake a part in this warfare for a holiday trip, and every man of them is knowingly making a greater or less sacrifice for wholly unselfish ends. Any man, indeed, who volunteers for active service in this struggle offers his very life for his country; and the enthusiasm of the crowds about the streets and the station yesterday indicates that the public is wakening up to the reality and significance of this fact. 

The public were not admitted to the floor of the Garrison Hall, but, just as Sergeantmajor Cummings began to call the roll, somebody discovered that the gallery door was open and a noisy rush of spectators set in. After quiet had been restored and the roll completed the Mayor (Mr J. B. Shacklock) mounted a chair and addressed the men. 

Mr Shacklock said he had much pleasure in being present to bid the men farewell on behalf of the citizens of Dunedin, and also to say how keenly they appreciated the effort the men were putting forth on behalf of the Empire. Those of them who followed the reports of the war would realise that this was the most important business that our Empire had ever passed through; and not only our Empire, but the peace of the whole world was involved in the war now going on. He bade them farewell, and wished them God-speed in the work they had undertaken on behalf of the Empire. They were giving them in trust the honour of the dominion, and they wished them to remember that they were there to uphold the honour of tho Empire first, and then, more particularly, the honour of New Zealand. The duties before them would not be light. They would be onerous; but they felt sure they would do their duty with honour to themselves and glory to the Empire. He wished them God-speed in the name of the citizens of Dunedin. 

The Primate (Bishop Nevill) said he had not come to make a speech, but merely to say good-bye to any among them with whom he might be acquainted, and to ask them to convey his good wishes to their excellent commander, Colonel Logan. They might think it was a very tame thing to go to an island where there was no enemy to meet with and fight, and where the greatest danger was that of melting away. He hoped they would enjoy good health in that climate. His word to them was that, wherever they were, they would have to meet the ordinary temptations of life. Speaking as a minister of God, he wanted them all to remember that this was God’s battle we were fighting, for justice and right and truth and honour and virtue.— (Applause.) They must remember that they were not only Britishers, but Christians, and lead lives that would be an example to all those with whom they were brought in contact. In that way they would do a great deal of good, not only as soldiers of The Empire, but as missionaries of the Word of God. He wished them all God-speed and good health and every blessing. The men uncovered while the Primate pronounced upon them this blessing; "The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord be gracious unto you, protect you, and give you all that you stand in need of from this time forth and for ever more.” 

Colonel E. R. Smith, V.D., then mounted the chair. ‘‘You have heard the bugle call and you have answered it,” he said, ‘‘and we are all proud of you.” — (Applause.) He added that there were other young men in Otago who had yet to answer the call, but he was sure that at an early date they would come forward. There were too many young men who were not responding to the call. There were people of whom we had reason to be more proud even than of those who were actually going away — the mothers. — (Cheers.) Although some men were leaving home without the expressed sanction of their mothers, still there was no doubt that in their own hearts those mothers were more proud of their sons than if they had not gone.” (Applause.) The work would be arduous, and the troops would have to put their very best into it. As citizens we would look forward to the day when they would return, and, although it might not be for a considerable time, yet there would be no day that would be looked forward to with greater pleasure than the day when they would welcome them at the railway station again. One thing every soldier wanted to do was to get into action. They hoped everyone with the exception of those going to Samoa would experience a baptism of fire, and after that they did not care how soon they returned. On behalf of the district he wished them every success, and good fortune on the way. — (Applause.)

Captain Fraser gave a few instructions to the men with reference to the journey to Wellington, and put them through several elementary movements. Liquor, he told them, was absolutely forbidden on the train. When questions began to come from the ranks as to arrangements for the journey, Captain Fraser cut them short, and won a round of applause by exclaiming “If there is any man unwilling to face the discipline of a railway carriage fall out!” Nobody fell out. 

When the men, headed by Pipe-major Grant and a dozen members of the Dunedin Pipe Band, set off for the station they found the street lined with relatives and friends, and members of the public anxious to show their friendly interest. The attentions of friends and relatives made marching a somewhat difficult matter, but the rear of the station was reached in fair order, and the men broke up for a final farewell. The arrangements at the station made by Mr McCracken, acting station master, for dealing with the large crowds were very complete and satisfactory. The entrances to the station were closed, and a box erected outside for the sale of admission tickets, but such numbers were already on the platform that the sale of these had soon to be stopped. Several thousands were seeking to gain admission to the platform, but they were very orderly, and were handled without difficulty. The four front carriages were set apart for the Otago men, and on the blowing of the signal whistle they all fell in and entrained promptly. Another carriage further back in the long train held a contingent of 35 volunteers for the front from Invercargill and Milton. Only a few minutes late, the two engines slowly drew out their load of 15 crowded carriages to the stirring strains of “Happy had we been a’ the-gither,” and the cheers and tears of the enthusiastic crowd. 

Most of those who did not answer to the roll call in the Garrison Hall turned up later, but altogether 11 men were missing at the train out of a total of 181. Altogether 113, including five artillery N.C.O.’s and nine infantry N.C.O.’s, left to prepare for duty at the front, and 59 for service in Samoa. The following is the list of their names:—  -Otago Witness, 13/1/1915.

Albert Hickey is next mentioned in the Roll of Honour of the Southland Times of August 18, 1915.  He is described as "wounded in the face" - his Army record adds the word "seriously." This wound was received at Gallipoli on August 12 - around the period of the campaign when the Otagos assaulted the heights of Chunuk Bair - and he spent some time recovering.  

Albert went to France with the Otagos in 1916 and was wounded a second time in July - a gunshot wound in the thigh.  During that period of convalescence he spent a month in the venereal ward of the hospital at Hornchurch.

He was back in the field in 1917 - notching up a reasonable number of bad marks on his conduct sheet of the "absent without leave" and "possession of liquor" variety.

On May 9, 1918, Albert was posted as Missing - later Missing believed POW - as the verdict of a Court of Enquiry set up during the hectic weeks of the German offensive at the beginning of 1918.  He had been in the Otago Infantry Entrenching Battalion which had been put into a gap in the line to face the attacking enemy.  As a second-line unit formed to work with the spade, they were armed but didn't carry much ammunition.  A runner sent to tell them to retreat never made it.  They were surrounded and low on ammunition and options.  

Albert Hickey was one of the 210 men who surrendered to German forces. He spent the rest of that year in a German captivity before liberation in December.  He returned to New Zealand in 1919, being discharged on April 19.

Lumsden Cemetery