Horace Braithwaite was not an ideal soldier - there are a few marks against him on his Army conduct sheet. There was also one against him before he joined the Army:
Horace Braithwaite, the young man who pleaded guilty to the theft of two watches from a house at Balclutha recently, was before the Supreme Court, Dunedin, yesterday for sentence. He was admitted to probation. Constable Lopdell reported that the circumstances showed there was no premeditation, and that accused seemed mentally immature, and was too fond of dancing and football. The accused was ordered to pay £3 towards cost of prosecution. -Evening Star, 2/8/1910.
Mr Joseph Braithwaite received a wire to-day from the Defence Office that his son, Horace Algernon Braithwaite, 27 years of age, unmarried, was wounded in the head. Young Braithwaite was farming in Southland, and his mother asked him to enlist, stating that two of his brothers had just done so. He at once left what he was at and joined the 8th Southland Regiment. His parents keenly feel his mishap, but also feel honored that he had the opportunity of fighting in a righteous cause for our glorious King and Empire, and in defence of our British ideals of liberty and freedom. -Evening Star, 5/5/1915.
WHAT CHAPLAIN BUSH-KING SAYS. (abridged)
Under date May 6 Chaplain Bush-King writes from Zeitoun camp: By this time you will be aware that our troops have been under fire on the Gallipoli Peninsula. The fight evidently took place on April 25 and 26-29, and on the 30th and 1st the wounded began to come on this far. The worse cases were left at Alexandria, and only the lighter cases came on here, although these cases are serious. We have seven hospitals with wounded in — Mena House, at the Pyramids, 13 miles from here; Gizereh Palace; Anglo-American Hospital at Gizereh; Kas'r el Aini Hospital — these hospitals are out Cairo West.
Then close at hand we have Abbassia, about two miles from here; Heliopolis Palace Hotel, a large building most beautifully fitted up, 1,500 rooms, huge halls, balconies, staircases (all built of marble), and out on wonderfully large balconies we have beds everywhere, hundreds and hundreds of them, nearly all occupied. Close by we have Luna Park Hall, quite the size of the Garrison Hall, with 700 wounded and sick. Beds are packed close together on the floor of the hall and all round the gallery —quite a wonderful sight. The New Zealand wounded and sick are scattered amongst these large hospitals. We have no building for our own, no nurses, and now no doctors.
We are dependent upon Australian and Egyptian Governments for hospital room, for doctors, for nurses, and when the wounded came in we chaplains had to go from bed to bed to find out whose it was, where he came from, what church, who his people. After a week's work we are beginning to get an idea where our men are. We wish that instead of sending clothes and money to Belgium we had some of it here. The men come to us from the field - clothes torn by shrapnel or bullets or wire, stained with mud and blood. Some men have no clothes. We need money to get them tobacco, fruit, stationery, shirts, etc., etc. Some may ask: Where are regimental funds? The officers commanding have charge of them, and these officers are away on active service. The chaplains have no funds, and it seems a pity we were not entrusted with some funds for this necessary work. Then, about our wounded. No matter how serious their wounds may be, our men are wonderfully cheerful, and all anxious to get well and get back. But some of these poor fellows will never go back to the fighting line. Some have lost a limb, some an eye. But it would do you all good to see how wonderfully cheerful they all are — glad to have suffered a little bit. It was not so much fighting as slaughter, for as our troops were landing the enemy simply mowed them down. At first our men had no chance of returning fire. Horace Braithwaite is seriously wounded in the head. A bullet entered the top of the head, traversed the curve of the skull, and is now lodged in the temple. Poor boy, he is almost unconscious, screams with pain, but when I go to him he holds my hand tight, and usually goes off to sleep, or else lays quiet. He is entered on the notice board as "dangerously" ill. We have four grades generally — "ill," "seriously,'' "dangerously," "very dangerously." -Evening Star, 16/6/1915.
BACK FROM GALLIPOLI
SERGT. P. McQUARRIE.
HIS ABSORBING NARRATIVE.
OTAGO MEN’S GREAT TASK.
INTERESTING IMPRESSIONS. (By Our Own Reporter). (excerpt)
The Turkish position was subjected to a terrific fire from two field batteries and twelve warships —simply raining lead and doing a lot of damage. Subsequently we moved back to the beach and then up through Shrapnel Gully, despite a heavy shrapnel fire, and into the actual firing line. We were given the range as 900 yards but couldn’t see any Turks — just stray bullets biffing about — from both sides. We lost about four men here — Fred Coker being killed and Horace Braithwaite wounded. We got off very lightly going up the hill, only losing four or five men. Colonel Moore remarking that our regiment had lost 60 men there the previous day. -Southland Times, 16/9/1915.
PRIVATE HORACE BRAITHWAITE.
The condition of Private Horace Braithwaite is causing grave anxiety to his friends. He was wounded at the landing at Gallipoli last May, and has been very ill ever since. He was brought back to Dunedin by the Tofua, and admitted to the Hospital. He made substantial improvement for a time, but suffered a relapse. An operation performed this week proved successful, but complications ensued, and he is now very low. -Evening Star, 13/1/1916.
HORACE BRAITHWAITE.
We have to record the death of Horace Algernon Braithwaite, fourth son of Mr and Mrs J. Braithwaite, of this City. He was born in Dunedin 28 years ago, and was educated at the Arthur Street School. As a lad he took to a country life, and he was farming in the Otautau district when he learned that two of his brothers were enlisting in the Main Expeditionary Force. He at once joined the 8th (Southland) Company of the Otago Infantry Battalion, and the three brothers went away together. Shortly after getting to Egypt he was in a brush with the Turks. Then he went with his regiment to Gallipoli. On April 27, three days after the historic landing, volunteers were called for to go out after some troublesome snipers. Horace and two others were chosen. One of the three got killed at once; the two others were wounded. Braithwaite’s wound was from a bullet that furrowed the top of his head. It was considered a desparate case from the first, but he rallied, and was able to return by the Willochra. Since then he was under treatment in the Dunedin Hospital. For a while he was most cheerful, and lovingly spoke of getting well and returning to the fighting line; but three weeks ago his condition became grave, an operation was unavoidable, and be gradually sank, dying at 7.30 this morning. His parents are consoled by the knowledge that he voluntarily gave his life for King and country. The funeral is to take place to-morrow afternoon at 5 at the Southern Cemetery. Captain Fleming will represent the Defence Department, the 4th Regiment Band will be present, and the firing party are to consist of Anzacs. Prior to the interment there will be a service in St. Peter’s Church. -Evening Star, 15/1/1916.
Horace's Army record shows a diagnosis of hemiplegia, made at Dunedin Hospital - a paralysis of the right side of his body due to brain injury. It also calls his a "hopeless case."
'LAST POST.'
The funeral of Private Horace Algernon Braithwaite, 8th (Southland) Company, Otago Infantry Battalion, which took place yesterday afternoon, was witnessed by many hundreds of citizens, who lined the route from St, Peter's Church to the Southern Cemetery. The firing party were furnished by Anzac men under Sergeant-major Tustain, they marching with arms reversed in front of the gun carriage on which the coffin, which was wrapped in a Union Jack, was carried. In addition to the firing party, fully 70 returned soldiors attended. The mourning coaches were followed by carriages containing the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), city councillors, and prominent citizens. The Rev. J. L. Mortimer, who conducted the services at the church, also officiated at the graveside. The firing of the last volleys and the sounding of the 'Last Post' concluded a most impressive ceremony. -Evening Star, 17/1/1916.
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