and not stay with him … His extra ordinary love of animals continued in active service. Starving cats and dogs came to him, and in the trenches he nearly always had one sharing his valise” . 14 David Mackenzie (2557) came to Christ’s College in September 1910 and remained until 1914. He was in South Town, in cadets from 1911–1914, and in his final year he became a prefect. In 1914 he was awarded Tancred Prizes for History and Literature, the Divinity Prize, the Greek Prize and the Prize for Latin Verse Translation. He was 23rd in the University Entrance Examinations in New Zealand and was granted a Junior Scholarship 15 and so, in 1915, he enrolled at Canterbury University College and lived at College House on the corner of Cashel Street and Rolleston Avenue. 16 His army personnel record 17 shows he had joined the Canterbury
for Devonport, England, where he disembarked on 29 January 1917. Like so many New Zealand soldiers, he marched into Sling Camp on the Salisbury Plain. His Casualty-Active Service Sheet shows he was promoted to corporal at the beginning of March and left for France in early May 1917. On 18 June he finally joined the NZ Rifle Brigade and at his own request reverted to the ranks. His personnel record shows that he was admitted to the No 3 NZ Field Ambulance and the No 9 Australian Field Ambulance with epidermitis (infected abraded skin) on 17 July. With the rest of the 4th Battalion of the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade he was part of the attack on Bellvue Spur on 12 October 1917. This day has been described as one of the darkest in New Zealand’s military history. The 2nd and 3rd Rifle Brigades slogged their way through mud to even get to the start lines, and then they found the wires were uncut. Between 9 and 14 October 1917 the 4th Battalion lost four officers and 40 other ranks, with another four officers and 205 other ranks wounded and 31 other ranks missing. In total, 1214 men of the 3rd Rifle Brigade were killed in action, wounded or missing. 20 These two young men are remembered close to where they were killed in action. David Mackenzie’s name can be found on the Tyne Cot Memorial New Zealand Apse Panel 7 21 and Reginald Upham’s grave can be found in the Ancre British Cemetery, Beaumont-Hamel. 22 Both their names are on their respective school memorials. Charles Hazlitt Upham, the Little Doctor, united them both in a cross on the north wall of the Church of the Holy Trinity, Lyttelton. This was where he was churchwarden, and where he worshipped regularly on
Sunday at 8am, even if, according to oral tradition, it was in his dressing gown, having just arrived home from delivering a baby.
The cross that was formerly on the north exterior wall of Holy Trinity, Lyttelton. Lyttelton Parish Archives, Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives
Detail of the inscription on the cross. Lyttelton Parish Archives, Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives
And what of the other brother, John Hazlitt Upham? He also found his way to New Zealand via a sugar plantation in Queensland. After visiting his brother in Lyttelton, he decided to stay and, aged 35, graduated in law from Canterbury University College. 23 In 1908 he married Agatha Mary Coates, the daughter of Charles Coates, Vicar of Lyttelton, and Harriet Louise Brittan. 24 They had three daughters and one son – Charles Hazlitt Upham (1908–1994), named after his uncle.
David MacKenzie from the Christ’s College Register , December 1917
Volunteer Regiment while studying, 18 but like many other students at College House he enlisted on 31 May 1916, took the oath at Trentham on 1 June and, less than six months later, embarked on either HMNZT68 Maunganui or HMNZT69 Tahiti 19
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