As the year 1918 reached and passed its middle, Allied armies had German forces in retreat. But there was still plenty of opposition. The fighting did not reach the homeland, but the German Army was determined to give ground as stubbornly as possible, hoping to prevent the destruction they saw around them from reaching their nation. With little hope of victory after the failure of their Spring offensive, and aware that the growing weight of American resources was beginning to tell, they used the ability to dig in and defend as much as possible.
On Bancourt Ridge, attacking me of the Wellington Infantry Regiment met stiff resistance from Germans dug in with machine guns. The day was won but the casualties were high. One of those was James Alexander Jopp.
ROLL OF HONOUR
On Saturday Last Mr A. Jopp of Arrowtown received the distressing news that his brother, Lance-Corporal James Alexander Jopp, MM, had been killed in action in France on 29th August. Although Lance-corp. Jopp left New Zealand with the 17th Reinforcements and had been in the firing line for a considerable time, he had no mishap of any kind right up till the time he was killed. He enlisted from Taranaki, where he had been proprietor of a mail-carrying and livery stable business, and went forward with the 9th Hawkes Bay Company. Lance-corp. Jopp, who was between 33 and 34 years of age, was a native of Arrowtown, where he received his primary schooling. He finished his education, however, at the Southland Boys' High School. He was the youngest son of Mrs and the late Mr J. L. Jopp of Arrow town. Like all the male members of the worthy house of Jopp, deceased soldier was a keen footballer and a fine all round sport in the truest sense of the word. He was generous, broad-minded, and a man of honour, and as such was highly respected and immensely popular wherever he went. He was also possessed of determination and a calm, strong courage, so that it was not surprising to his friends and acquaintances that he was recommended a few months ago for the coveted honour of a Military Medal. Deceased was unmarried. Much sympathy will be felt in this district for the members of the Jopp family an their bereavement. Deceased's widowed mother lives at Gore with her youngest daughter, Miss Marguerite Jopp. His other sister is Mrs R. Martin (Otama). Mr A. Jopp (Arrowtown), W. and R. Jopp (Riversdale) and Jack Jopp Pleasant Point (Canterbury), are brothers. -Mataura Ensign, 16/9/1918.
PRESENTARY OF MILITARY MEDAL.
At Gore on Saturday Sir James Allen held a decoration ceremony and presented medals, amongst those honored being Mrs Jopp, formerly of Arrowtown, who was presented with the Military Medal gained by her son the late Corporal James A. Jopp. In presenting the medals, Mr James Allen referred to the noble part New Zealand had played in the war. New Zealand was the only country, with the exception, perhaps, of America, which entered the war late, which had kept up its reinforcements. New Zealanders, wherever they went, were well spoken of, and the part they took in the war would never be forgotten. They did not, however, find their returned men boasting of what they had done; it was one of the characteristics of our race not to boast, and this was very clearly exemplified in the young men who had gone out to fight the country’s battles. It was the wish of his Majesty the King that the presentation of medals to soldiers should be as public as possible, and he, as Minister of Defence, had acceded to his wish by coming to Southland for that purpose. Holding up one of the medals, he asked those present to note particularly the colour of the riband, that when they passed a man wearing it they would recognise a man who possessed courage and who had performed noble deeds. Cheers were given for Mrs Jopp and the other recipients, with whom the Minister personally sympathised. -Lake County Press, 29/5/1919.
No comments:
Post a Comment