23610 Private William Thomas Rice, (23/2/1886-1/6/1917). "a sad loss to his mother"

FALLEN NEW ZEALANDERS. 

PRIVATE WILLIAM THOMAS RICE. 

Private William Thomas Rice, reported killed while in action in France on June 1, was the eldest son of Mrs E. J. and the late Wm. Rice, Royal crescent, Musselburgh. He was born in Dunedin, and was in his thirty-first year. The deceased soldier was educated at the Normal School, and after attaining manhood was a very enthusiastic cricketer. He played for the Grange Club for some time, and then the St. Kilda Club. He was also a member of the Alhambra Football Club for many years. Private Rice was a soap maker by trade, and was employed at McLeod Bros.' works up to the time he answered his country's call to arms. He enlisted in the infantry with the 13th Reinforcements, and left Zealand at the end of May, 1916. He went to France at the end of last September, and had been in the thick of the fighting up to the time of his death. The deceased was much respected by all with whom he came in contact, and his death is a sad loss to his mother. His younger brother, James Rice, left New Zealand with the 16th Reinforcements, and is now "somewhere in France."  -Evening Star, 18/6/1917.

William Rice was killed during a period of preparation for the Battle of Messines, which was opened by the detonation of a large mine under German positions.  The Official History of the Otago Battalion has this to say about the day: "On the early morning of June 1st Major W. G. Wray, M.C., was wounded by a shell which burst outside his quarters, and in consequence he was evacuated. During the afternoon and early on the following morning the enemy heavily bombarded our front line system, but all this was as nothing compared to the manner in which our own artillery was pounding the enemy and his defences."

Northern Cemetery, Dunedin.