Lieut.-Colonel Walter Montagu Moore, J.P., Commandant of the South Canterbury Infantry Battallion, was born in Kent, England, in 1851, and is the sixth son of the late Rev. Edward Moore, honorary canon of Canterbury Cathedral, and of the late Lady Harriet Moore, youngest daughter of the fourth Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry. Colonel Moore was educated chiefly in Kent, and acquired practical farming experience in Yorkshire and Scotland. He came to Lyttelton by the ship “Crusader,” in 1874, and after a short visit to the Old Country, engaged in pastoral pursuits at the Chatham Islands, where he remained for two years and a half. Settling in South Canterbury, he bought 600 acres near Geraldine, which he disposed of in 1893, and has since resided in Geraldine. He joined the volunteers at the formation of the Geraldine Rifles, and was at once elected captain of the corps. When the South Canterbury battalion was formed in September, 1886, he was promoted to be major, and on its abolition was put on the active unattached list. On the formation of the new battalion in 1897, he was given the command, with the rank of lieutenant-colonel. Prior to this, Major Moore had been placed in charge of the battalion at encampments. He was in command of the infantry camp at Kaituna in 1895, and of the whole force at the Easter encampment, held at Temuka in 1896. Colonel Moore has taken an active interest in public affairs. He was a member of the Geraldine County Council from 1887 to 1893, and was appointed to represent that body on the South Canterbury Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, an office he still holds. He was a member of the South Canterbury Education Board from 1896 to 1901, when he resigned his seat, and was member and chairman of the Gapes Valley School Committee for some years. He has been president of the Geraldine Floral and Horticultural Society for several years, of the literary institute, and of the Geraldine branch of the British and Foreign Bible Society. He has also held several offices in the Church of England, and has been a member of the diocesan synod. Colonel Moore paid another visit to England in 1886. He was married at the Chatham Islands, and has one son, who went to South Africa as a trooper in the Sixth Contingent.

Ferrier, photo.
Lieut.-Col. W. M. Moore.

Lieutenant Colonel Jowsey, C.M.G., Second in Command of the South Canterbury Infantry Battalion, saw service in the South African war during 1900 and 1901, as Officer Commanding the New Zealand Rough Riders, or Third Contingent. He sailed for the seat of war with his command on the 17th of February, 1900, and landed at East London. There he was ordered to join General Brabant's Colonial Brigade, and trained to Aliwal North and took part in the relief of Wepener. Thence he moved to Kroonstad, via Smithfield, Bethulie, and Bloemfontein, and under General Hutton took part in the advance of Field Marshal Lord Roberts on Pretoria. The Rough Riders fought all round Rustenburg to the west, and trekked and fought to the east, with General French, via Carolina to Barberten. Returning to Pretoria, the Contingent trekked for six weeks, under General Plumer, in all directions, and took part in the Rhenoster Kop battle, where the page 143 New Zealanders suffered heavily. From Balmoral they trained south to Naauwpoort in Cape Colony, where, in pursuit of De Wet, Colesburg, Philipstown, Orange River Station, Hopetown, and many places of minor importance, were visited. While on this trek engagements were fought almost daily, and all De Wet's guns and transports were captured. Returning to Orange River Colony, Major Jowsey and his men trekked through Philippolins, Fauresmith, Petrusburg, Bultfontein, then west to the railway at Brandfort, and thence to Winburg. There, having fulfilled their term of service, the Contingent left for Capetown, where the Major and his command embarked on board the s.s. “Tongariro,” sailed for New Zealand on the 31st of March, and disembarked at Port Chalmers on the 8th of May, 1901. For his services Major Jowsey was mentioned in despatches, created a Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, and promoted Lieutenant-Colonel in the New Zealand Militia.

Ferrier, photo.
Lieut.-Col. Jowsey.

Captain Sidney Wolf, formerly Adjutant of the South Canterbury Battalion, was appointed conductor and bandmaster of the Timaru Garrison Band in 1886. During the ten years of his conductorship he piloted the band through many contests, and the band and its soloists gained numerous prizes. When he resigned his position as bandmaster in January, 1896, he joined the Timaru Navals as sub-lieutenant. In 1897 he was appointed adjutant of the South Canterbury Battalion, and was gazetted captain in the early part of 1898. Mr. Wolf is referred to in another part of this volume as a teacher of pianoforte, singing and harmony, at Timaru.

Ferrier, photo.
Captain S. Wolf.

Captain Edward Cutten, Quartermaster of the South Canterbury Infantry Battalion, was born at Dunedin in 1862. He passed his examination in 1890 as lieutenant of the Temuka Rifles, and was elected captain on the 25th of February, 1891. After some months in the District Reserve Corps, he was appointed quartermaster of the South Canterbury Battalion in 1897.

The Ven. Archdeacon Harper, who is further referred to in another article, is Honorary Chaplain to the South Canterbury Infantry Battalion.

Captain John Lillie Gillies, Timaru City Rifle Volunteers, was born at Milton, Otago, and is a son of the late Mr. J. L. Gillies, first secretary of the Otago Harbour Board. He was educated at the Dunedin High School and entered the service of the Westport Coal Company in 1881; he was promoted to the management of the company's Timaru branch in 1897. He joined the Dunedin Highland Rifles as a private in 1889, was elected lieutenant in 1890 and obtained the captaincy a year later. On leaving Dunedin, he was placed on the reserve list as captain, but was induced to join the Timaru Rifles as lieutenant, and on the retirement of Captain Jackson of the City Rifles (old C Battery of Artillery), he accepted the command of that corps, his commission being ante-dated by permission.

Captain J. L. Gillies.

Captain E. Richardson, of the Temuka Rifles, is referred to in another article in connection with the Ocean Accident and Guarantee Corporation, Limited, Christchurch.

Captain Charles Ernest Thomas, formerly in command of the Timaru Port Guards, was born at Bangalore, India, in 1864, and was educated at Cheltenham College, England. He entered Middlesex Hospital, London, in 1881, and became housesurgeon and house-physician of that institution. He came to New Zealand in 1890, and shortly afterwards received the appointment of resident surgeon at Timaru Hospital. In the following year he commenced private practice, and also joined the Navals as lieutenant, being subsequently promoted to LieutenantCommanding. He remained in command of the corps until he went to South Africa, as medical officer, with the Fifth New Zealand Contingent. Whilst he was in Africa Dr. Thomas was appointed senior medical officer of the 2nd brigade Rhodesian Field Force, and senior medical officer at Klerksdorp.

Ferrier. photo.
Captain C. E. Thomas.

Captain Herbert Clifford Barclay, of the Waimate Rifles, was born at Timaru in 1866, and is the third son of the Rev. George Barelay, who was the pioneer Presbyterian minister of South Canterbury. He was educated at the Timaru High School and Otago University, where he studied medicine and surgery, and graduated M.B., Ch.B., in 1889. He took his M.D. degree in 1891. In 1896 he visited Great Britain, and gained the diplomas of M.R.C.S. (Eng.), L.R.C.P. (Lord.), and F.R.C.S. (Edin.). After graduating, he and Dr George Copeland were the first two medical men educated solely in New Zealand to be appointed to public positions— namely, as medical officers of the Dunedin Hospital, and after he had been serving there for one year, Dr Barelay was appointed surgeon superintendent of Waimate Hospital. Captain Barclay has been a member of the Waimate High School Board for some years, a member of the Timaru High School board of Governors, a member of the Waimate Borough Council, and he was also for two years and a half mayor of the borough. He was surgeon-captain to the Waimate Rifles, and he is now captain of the company.

Captain Kenneth Mackenzie joined the old Geraldine Rifles as a private in 1885 at the age of eighteen. He was appointed corporal in November, 1885; sergeant in May, 1886, and elected lieutenant on the 18th of March, 1887. He was adjutant for the South Canterbury Battalion at the Kaiapoi camp in 1891.

Ferrier, photo.
Captain K. Mackenzie.

Lieutenant J. R. Montgomery. , of the Geraldine Rifles, held a commission as captain of the Otago High School Cadets from 1889 to 1897, and consequently when he joined the Geraldine Rifles he received a fresh commission without examination. He made his old corps very proficient in rifle shooting, and he himself won the District Championship of Otago in 1890. Lieutenant Montgomery is at present (1902) the holder of the company's championship, and is of great service as a “coach” on the rifle range.