7/1801 Lieutenant Harry Bolton Riley, 20/10/1875-1/10/1916.

Harry Bolton was a pre-war Territorial officer with the 10th (Nelson) Mounted Rifles, and was gazetted a 2nd Lieutenant in 1912.  His invaluable experience would have made him a logical candidate for a Regular officer when war cam and he was subsequently gazetted 2nd Lieutenant in the Canterbury Infantry Regiment 11/11/15, then Lieutenant on 5/10/1916.

WEDDING BELLS

Riley—Prussing. 

(Contributed) St. Cuthbert's Church was the scene of a very pretty wedding on Tuesday, when Miss Doris Ellen Prussing, daughter of Mr and Mrs William Prussing, of Collingwood, was led to the Hymeneal altar by Mr Harry Bolton Riley a1so of Collingwood. The chirch was prettily decorated for the occasion by friends of the contracting parties, and, the bride being a member of the choir, the service was fully choral, the Rev. Mr Quintrell officiating. The bride's gown was cream silk voile, tastefully trimmed with white merv silk and cream lace. She wore a very handsomely embroidered veil and the orthodox orange flowers, and carried a pretty horse-shoe bouquet. Miss Prussing, as chief bridesmaid, wore a pretty dress of cream silk voile trimmed with tiny flounces and cream guipure, finished off with a scarlet merv sash, a chip hat trimmed with chiffon and poppies, and carried a shower bouquet. Miss May Prussing wore a cream silk voile frock trimmed with lace, chip hat with chiffon and poppies, scarlet merv silk sash, and carried a basket of flowers As the bride, looking very sweet, and fragile, entered the sacred edifice leaning on her father's arm, and proceeded up the aisle to where the bridegroom awaited her, attended by Mr Kavanagh, as best man, the choir sang the hymn ''How welcome the call" and at the conclusion of the ceremony "The voice that Breathed o'er Eden," after which the bridal party left the church, to the strains of the "Wedding March," amidst showers of rose leaves and rice, and proceeded to Mr Prussing's residence where they received the congratulations of their friends, who were entertained with cake and wine. The happy pair left by the "Lady Barkly," en route for Wellington and Masterton, amidst the cheers and good wishes of an assembled crowd. The bride's travelling dress was heliotrope silk voile, with picture hat, trimmed with pale green chiffon.

The presents were very numerous, both elegant and useful. The bridegroom's present to the bride was a handsome gold watch and Granny chain, and to the bridesmaids gold brooches with ruby horse-shoes. The bride's present to the bridegroom was a pair of heavy gold sleeve links. Mr H. B. Riley, being an especial favorite, received some very handsome presents, notably a splendid marble clock, with a suitable inscription in silver, from his employees, a handsome silver tea-pot with inscription, and an illuminated address from the footballers; and many other presents from public and private friends, too numerous to mention.  -Golden Bay Argus, 16/3/1905.

Harry was with the Canterburys in the Battle of the Somme, and the following portion of the Regiment's Official History would seem to include the circumstances of his death: "The assaulting companies assembled in the new trenches on the south-east edge of the hollow, in Gird Trench and in Goose Alley. At 3.15 p.m. on October 1st they advanced under a creeping barrage, and at the same time a special detachment of Royal Engineers discharged oil drums from trench-mortars in the front line trenches. These fell short on the left, but reached the enemy trenches on the right; and besides causing numerous casualties had a great moral effect. In spite of this, however, the 12th Company and the right half of the 2nd Company met some rifle and machine-gun fire as they left the trenches; and while they waited in the hollow for the barrage to lift off the enemy's positions, they were heavily bombed by the garrison. Owing to the inaccuracy of the aim of the bombers, however, few casualties were caused by the bombs; and on the barrage lifting the assaulting troops charged the trenches. The remaining company and a half did not have the advantage of dead ground, and suffered severe casualties from machine-gun fire from their right and front. They reached their objectives; but, probably owing to their losses, they did not cover their whole front, and left a considerable gap between their left flank and the 2nd Otago Battalion."

Harry left behind his wife and four children.

Wakapuaka Cemetery, Nelson.