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_ William Hardham _
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Introduction
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William James Hardham (31 July 1876 - 13 April 1928) was a New
Zealand soldier who was a recipient of the Victoria Cross, the
highest award for gallantry "in the face of the enemy" that could
be awarded at the time to military personnel of the British Empire.
Born in Wellington, Hardham was a blacksmith and part-time soldier
in the local militia when he volunteered to serve with the New
Zealand Military Forces in the Second Boer War. Posted to the 4th
Contingent in 1900, he was on a patrol in the South African
Transvaal when it was ambushed. He rode his horse to the rescue of
a wounded soldier while under heavy fire and for this he was
awarded the Victoria Cross. Discharged from the New Zealand
Military Forces in 1901, he rejoined for another period of service
in the Second Boer War but was only briefly in South Africa before
being sent to England for the coronation of King Edward VII and
Queen Alexandra.
Returning to civilian life, he became increasingly involved in
rugby administration with the Wellington Rugby Football Union; he
had played representative rugby for Wellington in his youth. He
also continued to serve in the militia. When the First World War
began, he volunteered for service abroad with the New Zealand
Expeditionary Force (NZEF) and was posted to the Wellington Mounted
Rifles Regiment (WMR) as a captain. Wounded during the Gallipoli
Campaign, he was repatriated to New Zealand. On recovery he was
made commandant of Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs but
desired a return to the NZEF and a posting overseas. He rejoined
the WMR, then in Palestine, in late 1917 but his health was poor
and affected the remainder of his service in the military. Having
reached the rank of major by the end of the war in 1918, he was
subsequently discharged from the NZEF. Returning to civilian life,
he worked for a newspaper and later the Public Works Department as
well as being involved in veterans' affairs. He died in 1928 at the
age of 51.
Early life
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William James Hardham was born on 31 July 1876 in Wellington to
George Hardham, a labourer, and his wife, Ann Hardham, . He
received his education at Mount Cook School. When his schooling was
completed, he obtained work as a blacksmith. A keen sportsman, he
played rugby for the Petone Rugby Club and also represented
Wellington in provincial rugby. He would eventually play 53 games
for Wellington. His military career began in 1895, when he joined
the Wellington Naval Artillery, a part-time militia unit, serving
with the Petone Company.
South Africa
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The Second Boer War arose from tensions between the Boer South
African Republic and the British authorities in the Transvaal of
South Africa over control of the region. In September 1899, just
prior to the commencement of hostilities, New Zealand's Parliament
offered the British Government a mounted rifles contingent from the
New Zealand Military Forces for service in South Africa, which was
accepted. Volunteers were plentiful and two contingents had already
left for the war by 1900.
Hardham was among those who volunteered and he was posted to the
4th New Zealand Contingent as a farrier sergeant major. Landing in
Portuguese East Africa in April 1900, the Fourth Contingent,
nicknamed the "Rough Riders", were deployed as part of the
Rhodesian Field Force around Mafeking. Aside from a brief action at
Ottoshoop in August, the Rough Riders spent the majority of their
war service in the Transvaal, carrying out reconnaissance patrols
and pursuing Boer commandos. As part of the effort to deprive the
Boers of resources, they also helped to destroy crops and round up
civilians and cattle, during which they occasionally skirmished
with armed commandos. On 28 January 1901, Hardham was on a patrol
near Naauwpoort, in the Transvaal, when it was ambushed by twenty
Boers. Although the patrol was able to withdraw, one man was
wounded and his horse was shot from under him. Seeing this, Hardham
rode to his aid and extracted him to safety while under heavy
gunfire.
For his actions, Hardham was recommended for the Victoria Cross
(VC) by General Lord Kitchener, commander of British forces in
South Africa. The VC, instituted in 1856, was the highest award for
valour that could be bestowed on a military personnel of the
British Empire. The local commander, Major-General Ian Hamilton,
believed the Distinguished Conduct Medal, second only to the VC,
was a more appropriate form of recognition for Hardham. However,
the commander-in-chief of the British Army, Field Marshal Earl
Roberts, concurred with Kitchener and the VC nomination was
approved. The citation for Hardham's VC, the first to be awarded to
a New Zealander of a unit of the New Zealand Military Forces
serving overseas, read:
Hardham was presented with the VC, the only such award made to a
New Zealander in the Boer War, on 1 July 1901 by George, Prince of
Wales, who was in South Africa on a visit. This event took place
even before the award was officially announced in 'The London
Gazette'. At the time of the presentation of the VC, the back of
the suspender bar and reverse face of the medal itself was not
engraved with his name, rank, unit and date of the action that
resulted in the award, in a departure from normal practice; Hardham
presumably arranged the engraving himself later. The Rough Riders
spent the final weeks of their service in South Africa in
operations to the north of Klerksdorp, patrolling and denying the
Boer commandos food. They were also involved in the capture of a
convoy of Koos de la Rey's commando in March 1901. The contingent
left for New Zealand in June 1901 and Hardham was discharged two
months later.
He volunteered to serve again in South Africa, this time with the
Ninth Contingent and was commissioned as a lieutenant in February
1902. Soon after the Ninth Contingent's arrival in South Africa in
late April, Hardham and over 50 other New Zealand mounted riflemen,
serving in South Africa, were sent to England to join up with the
official New Zealand party attending the coronation of King Edward
VII and Queen Alexandra and participated in a parade of colonial
troops in London on 1 July 1902.
Civilian life
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Hardham returned to civilian life after his visit to London and
continued to serve with the Naval Artillery. In 1910, having
attained the rank of sergeant and served as a volunteer in the
militia for 16 years, he was awarded the Long and Efficient Service
Medal. In addition to his work as a blacksmith, he also
increasingly became involved in rugby administration; in 1908 he
commenced a six-year term on the committee of the Wellington Rugby
Football Union.
First World War
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On the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, Hardham volunteered
for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF), being raised for
service overseas. Appointed as a captain in the Wellington Mounted
Rifles Regiment (WMR), he was second in command of its 2nd
Squadron. Travelling on the troopship 'Arawa', he embarked with the
main body of the NZEF for the Middle East in October 1914. His
regiment was part of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and was
destined for service in the Gallipoli campaign. Arriving in Egypt,
the WMR spent several months in training and during this time
Hardham helped to organise sporting events to keep the men
occupied.
Gallipoli
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While the WMR was not involved in the initial landings on 25 April
1915 at Gallipoli, it arrived on the peninsula a few weeks later on
12 May, without their horses. Within days, the WMR was involved in
the fighting. During the Turkish assault on Anzac Cove on 19 May,
the WMR helped fend off attacks at Quinn's Post. Later in the day,
Hardham was ordered to lead an attacking party on the stretch of
ridge named the Nek, from where Turkish soldiers were sniping. The
area over which the party was to advance was swept with Turkish
machine-gun fire and the orders to attack were cancelled. Soon
afterwards, he participated in the Battle for No.3 Post, an effort
to capture a Turkish outpost. Seized by the Canterbury Mounted
Rifles on 28 May, a squadron of the WMR immediately took over the
position but were attacked in the evening and cut off for over 24
hours. Involved in the efforts to relieve the beleaguered squadron,
Hardham received serious wounds; another officer who came to his
aid was also wounded. The trapped WMR soldiers were relieved on 30
May and the position, too exposed to further attacks from the
Turks, was abandoned.
Later war service
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Although treated for his injuries, which were to his hand and
chest, Hardham was repatriated to New Zealand in February 1916.
Soon after his return, on 16 March, he married Constance Evelyn née
Parsonson at St. Peter's Church in Wellington. His brother was the
best man for the ceremony. He agitated for a return to active duty
with the NZEF but instead received an appointment as commandant of
Queen Mary Hospital in Hanmer Springs. Initially a temporary
position, he did so well in the post that it was made permanent and
he was promoted to major.
Hardham still sought a role with the NZEF and in late 1917 the
military authorities relented, and he was able to rejoin the WMR,
which was serving in the campaign in Palestine. His health was poor
and he was ill for much of the remainder of the war. He was
ultimately repatriated back to New Zealand suffering from malaria.
Later life and legacy
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After the war, Hardham sought a role in the New Zealand Military
Forces as a professional soldier. His application was declined on
account of his health and he was duly discharged from the NZEF in
March 1920. Unable to return to his work as a blacksmith because of
his poor physical condition, he found employment at 'The Dominion',
a Wellington-based newspaper, and later with the Public Works
Department. He was involved in veterans' affairs, being a club
manager at the Wellington Returned Soldiers' Association and
organising Anzac Day parades.
Hardham was still involved with rugby administration, serving again
on the committee of the Wellington Rugby Football Union from 1921
to 1925. He was eventually made a life member. As a schoolboy, the
future rugby commentator Winston McCarthy met Hardham, later
describing him as "a very silent, simple man" who gave him a
historic book on rugby.
Suffering from stomach cancer, Hardham died at his home in the
suburb of Ngaio on 13 April 1928, at the age of 51. He received a
military funeral which the prime minister of New Zealand, Gordon
Coates, attended, and was buried at Karori Cemetery in Wellington.
His VC is displayed at the National Army Museum at Waiouru. The
Hardham Cup, a competition trophy in Wellington club rugby, is
named in his honour and he is also remembered by a plaque in
Queen's Gardens in Dunedin.
License
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Original Article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Hardham
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