PERSONAL ITEMS
Commander W. J. W. Steward, R.N., has retired from the Navy. He came out from Home by the Ionic on Wednesday to take up farming in New Zealand. -Press, 7/12/1907.
PERSONAL ITEMS
Commander Steward, of Nelson, was in command of the Naval Depot on the Shat-el-Arab river, for the Mesopotamia expeditionary force. At latest news (end of September), the commander was in good health and spirits. Nelson Evening Mail, 12/11/1915.
Captain (formerly Commander) Steward, of Nelson, is now in command of a man-of-war, and taking part in the Mesopotamia campaign. Admiral Bacon and Captain Steward, it is believed, are the only retired naval officers of commander's rank or above employed in command of men-of-war — that is to say real men-of-war — in the whole navy. Many of course have command of shore establishments, temporary commissions in the Royal Naval Reserve, or are employed in mine-sweepers, motor boats, etc. Captain Steward, however, is not only doing the same duty that he would have performed had he not retired, but in a most important job. -Nelson Evening Mail, 16/3/1916.
"The fighting up the Tigris is very severe, and wo have not yet gained our immediate objective — the relief of Kut," remarks Captain (formerly commander) Steward, of Nelson, in a letter home. -Otago Daily Times, 22/3/1916.
Captain (formerly Commander) Steward, of Nelson, has been invalided home. He left Bombay on August 30, and will reach Wellington at the end of September. -Nelson Evening Mail, 8/9/1916.
FROM BASRA
THE CAMPAIGN "UP THE RIVER."
Commander Steward, of Nelson, who returned from the head of the Persian Gulf by the Manuka, on Monday, has practically been invalided home. Like almost everyone else, he contracted the fever that is common to the country, and some three months ago had the misfortune to rick the muscles of his right arm severely by accident, so severely that the arm had to be trussed up for some six weeks. Commander Stewart was the officer in charge of the naval base at Basra, his ship being the sloop Alert, a vessel about the size of H.M.S. Torch. Being the responsible officer, he did not go but made Basra his headquarters, or rather his ship was the naval headquarters. There his chief duty was to the construction of river gunboats, of which there is now quite a small fleet. Each of these boats has a draught of 2ft. 6in., and carries a 4-inch gun. There were also heavier monitors on the river with two 6-inch guns each. The lighter boats had seen a good deal of action. Commander Stewart was at Basra when General Townsend surrendered at Kut. As a matter of fact, it was known for some time previously that a surrender was practically inevitable. It was simply a matter of hard luck in not being able to get a relief force through.
Commander Stewart confesses that the troops employed "up, the river" had a very rough time of it, and the climatic conditions — factors that had an effect on the general morale of the troops. The heat in the valley of the Euphrates and Tigris was intense during May, June, July, and August,) and was not pleasant even in September. This month the heat became endurable, and doubtless operations would be commenced there pretty soon now. It would not surprise him to hear of Kut being retaken at any time. After that he thought it would be a case of waiting until the Russians cut off supplies before anything very effective could to done against the Turks.
Basra, Commander Stewart explained, is quite a large town, on the west side of the river. It is only built some three feet above the water, and consequently is subject to floods, and, what with the damp and heat, the place is a first-class breeding ground for fever germs.
Commander Stewart left for Nelson yesterday. Whether he will return to active duty or not depends entirely upon his health. -Dominion, 4/10/1916.
RETURNED SOLDIERS' LUNCHEON (excerpt)
Mr C. Y. Fell proposed the toast of "The Navy and Army." No greater theme could be proposed by any son of the British Empire. Between Paris and the French frontier there was perhaps not a hillside, a field, or a stream that had not carried the blood of British soldiers. And the Navy — did not the bones of British sailors lie in every sea? They had stood between us and destruction, and let the people be grateful to their memory. They did their duty and died like men. But for their extraordinary valour and tenacity, which had made the world one, we should at that moment have been virtually the slaves of the Huns. To the British Army and Navy was due their safety, and that they had a glorious future before them if they know how to use it. But for the Army and Navy nothing could have saved the liberties of Europe, and of the world. Nothing could be said that was too great to show their gratitude to those men. He coupled with the toast the name of Captain Steward. R.N.
Captain Steward, in returning thanks, said the Navy deserved their tribute. Few people realised the deadly monotony of life in the Fleet in the duty it was called upon to carry out. He had had some experience of the colonial soldiers in Mesopotamia and he could say that fathers and mothers could be proud of such sons. -Colonist, 24/4/1917.
LITERARY
A book entitled "The Immortal Gamble," meaning Gallipoli, has been written by Commander Stewart and Chaplin Peshall, of the battleship Cornwallis, from whose fore turret there was fired the first shot of the bombardment. -Auckland Star, 21/7/1917.
COMMANDER STEWARD requests that the person who took the White Ensign and Union Jack from his car in front of the Cathedral last Friday morning, will return the same to Mail Office. Nelson Evening Mail, 16/11/1918.
Post-war, Walter Steward's activities included sitting on the Bench as a Justice of the Peace, trout and salmon fishing, and outings with the South Canterbury Hunt Club, after moving from Nelson to Timaru.
GIFT TO TIMARU
AN UNDESIRABLE.
BOARD AND LODGING PROVIDED.
Some time ago the cable news recorded an incident in the Old Country of an incorrigible criminal whose departure would be welcomed, and counsel for the defence proposed that the wrong-doer should be “dumped” on to Australia. But the Commonwealth Office in London indignantly protested, stating that Australia did not wish the entrance of such characters.
A case something similar has been disclosed locally. The other day in Christchurch, a man named William Mahoney, alias Nugent, alias Muldoon, caused a little trouble in his own way to the powers that be, at Christchurch, by making the acquaintance of the police on three different occasions for drunkenness. Mahoney is by no means a stranger to finding himself in durance vile, for he has a ‘‘list” of 36 entries for little misdeeds such as indecency, resisting, breach of prohibition order, obscene language, and so on. On his last three appearances for drunkenness in the City of the Plains, the Bench was in a lenient mood, and Mahoney was convicted and discharged on each offence. On the last occasion he was convicted and discharged on condition that he took the train, post haste, for Timaru.
And thus Christchurch got relief from at least one undesired dweller, for Mahoney considered it wise to comply with the wish of the Bench. However, the experience of William at Christchurch had not effected a reform, and he very soon found himself once more without the law, and after a display of dog chasing about Stafford Street, Mahoney, alias Nugent, alias Muldoon, came in contact with Constable Mayne who considered it expedient to remove the dog chaser to the “cooler.” This in spite of the fact that Mahoney said he was a judge.
At yesterday’s sitting of the Police Court at Timaru. Mahoney made the acquaintance of Commander W. Steward, R.N., and Mr G. Hastie, J.P., charged with drunkenness and breach of prohibition order.
The Bench, after perusing the “list," sentenced Mahoney to 14 days’ imprisonment. The charge of breach of prohibition order was remanded to be dealt with by the Magistrate.
Accused: Can I go to Templeton Gaol, sir?
Senr.-Sergt. Fahey: That is a monthly gaol your Worships.
Commander Steward (evidently not hearing the Senr.-Sergt right): Does he want a month? (Laughter). He asked a month, did he?
It was pointed out that Mahoney could not go to Templeton. -Timaru Herald, 29/3/1923.
Commander W. ,T. W. Steward, R.N. of Timaru, will be a candidate for a seat on the Timaru Harbour Board. Commander Steward, a well known naval officer, saw service in Egypt (1884). and in Mesopotamia during the Great War. He entered the Navy in 1877. He was Principal Transport Officer for the Samoan Expedition, and had charge, in H.M.S. Tigris, of an important naval base on the Tigris River, during operations in the Great War, controlling 48 gunboats and 1200 men. In New Zealand, Commander Steward made the first surveys of Nelson and Westhaven (Wanganui) harbours. His nautical knowledge should be of great service to the Harbour Board. -Timaru Herald, 4/4/1923.
OBITUARY
Commander W. Steward, R.N. The death occurred at Timaru on Monday of Commander W. J. W. Steward, R.N., at the age of 78, after a notable career in which he saw service in two wars and travelled to all parts of the world. Commander Steward was born at Staffordshire, England, in 1864, and after a period of private tuition continued his education in H.M.S. Brittannia, at Portsmouth, at the time when King George V was training in the same ship as a middy. As a naval officer he served in the South African war and again in the Great War. He came to New Zealand in 1908, settling at Nelson, but he came to Timaru in 1921. A great sporting enthusiast, he had collected many trophies of big game hunting in Africa, China and other countries, and was well known as an ardent angler and a keen follower of the hounds. He became a J.P. in 1920. He is survived by his wife, a daughter, Mrs G. Pitts (Roxburgh), and three sons, Messrs W. J. W. Steward (Sydney). A. H. C. Steward (Palmerston North), and A. D. A. H. Steward (Timaru). -Timaru Herald, 18/3/1942.
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