NEWS OF THE DAY
We regret extremely that, through the omission of a line in the N.Z.E.F. casualty list in yesterday’s issue, two Otago soldiers, who have been wounded, Private A. A. G. Hodges and Private W. E. S. Stevenson, were reported as having died of wounds. The mistake must, we realise, have caused a great deal of distress to the relatives of the wounded men. -Otago Daily Times, 28/4/1944.
DIED OF WOUNDS
PRIVATE W. E. S. STEVENSON
Private William E. S. Stevenson, who is reported to have died of wounds in Italy, was born in Arrowtown 36 years ago, and, after completing his secondary education in Dunedin, he commenced his business training at the Otago Harbour Board office, where he was a member of the staff for 19 years. He entered camp in March, 1942, and went overseas with the tenth reinforcements, being attached to the 26th Infantry Battalion. Private Stevenson was a keen supporter of the Zingari-Richmond Football Club. He had a good baritone voice, and was well known in musical circles. He was a member of the Dunedin Orphans’ Club,, and was associated with various musical revues and entertainment groups. He was the only son of Mr and Mrs W. F. Stevenson, of Dunedin, and is survived by his wife and small son, also of Dunedin. -Otago Daily Times, 11/5/1944.
Reference to the death in Italy of Private W. E. S. Stevenson, assistant import clerk of the Otago Harbour Board, was made at the meeting last night of the board, and a resolution of sympathy with his relatives was adopted. -Evening Star, 12/5/1944.
A motion of sympathy with the relatives of Private W. E. S. Stevenson, who died of wounds in Italy recently, and who before he went overseas was assistant import clerk on the staff of the Otago Harbour Board staff, was passed at the monthly meeting of the board last night. -Otago Daily Times, 12/5/1944.
William Stevenson's Battalion, the 26th, served through the hard fighting of the Battle of Monte Cassino and after a rest period was in action in the Volturno Valley. They were in sight of the enemy and all movement was done at night. The Battalion's Official History says this about the day he was fatally wounded:
Although enemy troops were not seen, working parties were often heard moving about forward of the sector. The battalion mortars and the 25-pounders fired concentrations on their reported positions. About midnight on the 15th a strong patrol was sent to examine a house forward of A Coy. It was believed that the enemy was occupying this house but the patrol found nothing. Four days later an enemy patrol infiltrated between 10 and 11 Platoons under cover of a heavy fog. An uncharted minefield had been laid between the two platoons and the explosion of one of these mines was the first warning of the patrol's page 392approach. Both platoons opened fire and nothing more was heard of the Germans. Later the same day two men from 12 Platoon went for a stroll. The fog was still heavy and they wandered into the minefield. Both were found dead some hours later, and B Coy lost two good soldiers, Sgt. G. L. Maze and L-Cpl W. T. Coster. Five men were wounded during the period, four on the day of arrival and the fifth the day after. One of them, Pte Stevenson, a popular performer at company entertainments, died after he reached the hospital. Major Ollivier, who had been with the battalion in Greece, left to return to New Zealand on furlough. Fifty-two reinforcements joined the unit and were posted to companies.
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