Patriotic. — Private Matthew Spowart, who has been down on final leave from Trentham, left last Monday on his return to camp. -Otago Witness, 10/5/1915.
PRIVATE M. W. SPOWART.
Private Matthew William Spowart, who succumbed on 22nd September to wounds received in action in France on September 16th, was a son of Mr and Mrs Matthew Spowart, Nightcaps, where he was born and educated. For some time Private Spowart was employed by the Nightcaps Coal Co., but subsequently joined the New Zealand Railway service, of which he was a member for five year before his enlistment in the 13th Reinforcements. At the time of his enlistment he was firing at Tuatapere. For several years he was a member of the Nightcaps Brass Band. Private Spowart was very popular among his mates and was esteemed by all who knew him. -Southland Times, 3/10/1916.
Matthew Spowart was wounded at the height of the Battle of the Somme, possibly during the following action as recorded in the Official History of the Otago Infantry Regiment:
By 10.45 a.m. the 1st Battalion of Otago, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel A. B. Charters, commenced to move forward to Switch Trench, and before 1 p.m. had reached and settled down there. In order to reach this position the Battalion had been forced to pass through a heavy barrage of fire, extending right along Switch Trench and from there back over the reverse slope to Tea Trench and its left extensions. The casualties incurred in effecting this change of positions for the attack were fairly numerous.
His wound was a piece from a shrapnel shell which hit him in the back. It is most probable that a "heavy barrage of fire" aimed at troops in the open would include a large proportion of shrapnel. Matthew died in the 1st Canadian Hospital at Etaples, France, and is buried in a local cemetery.
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