'Stretcher Bearer' by Peter MacKenzie

Last night I attended the play 'Stretcher Bearer', in Feilding, written and performed by Peter MacKenzie, telling the story of his grandfather Bill Smith. It was a play that reopened the Feilding Little Players Theatre, after major earthquake strengthening work.

Peter MacKenzie has meticulously researched this work, which revolves around the life of Bill Smith, originally a local boy from Taonui, who became a stretcher bearer in WW1. It was a serious work, revolving as it did around the realities of everyday life on the battlefields of WW1, and I am glad I was able to be there with friends, not alone.

I was unprepared for the personal connection I would end up feeling during the performance of this work. Two of my great-uncles died in WW1. James Riordan was wounded in the Battle of the Somme on 22 September 1916, was admitted and transferred to 38 'Cas Clg Stn'- which I now know means Casualty Clearing Station- and subsequently to No 18 General Hospital. He died of his wounds on 11 October 1916 and is buried in Etaples. John Francis Payn was killed in action on 3 October 1918, in the last weeks of the war. He was initially buried in a cemetery near Crevecour-sur-l'Escault, near where huge battles took place over a bridge near a canal, the taking of which was seen as vital towards winning the war.

(I wrote about visiting the cemeteries where both these great-uncles lie back here.)

As it happened, Bill Smith was a stretcher bearer both in the Battle of the Somme, and near the canal where late battles were fought. Stretcher bearers, perhaps even Bill himself, would have carried James Riordan back to the casualty clearing station. And other stretcher bearers would have retrieved the body of John Francis Payn, buried now in Flèsquieres Hill British Cemetery.

I had never before thought of the role of the stretcher bearers in the last days of my two great-uncles. Bill Smith's story added another dimension to my understanding of their wartime experiences. I am grateful to Peter MacKenzie for writing and performing this extraordinary work. And when Bill Smith's grand-daughter-in-law sang the Ode, I could barely hold back my tears.

Northern France- remembering two great-uncles

I have been granted some refreshment leave in 2020, and in May I plan to visit the places associated with two great-uncles who died in northern France during WW1. I have already visited their war graves- 20 years ago now, in 1998- and plan to revisit those. But since then I have also researched more about the battles both were involved in and hope to visit those areas.

My maternal great-uncle, John Francis Payn, was born in Kumara in 1895 to Francis Davis PAYN and Johanna SCETTRINI. (I have already blogged about him here and also here.) Through the Tourist Office of Cambrai I have managed to organise a tour to see the battleground area he fought in, near Crevecoeur-sur-l'Escaut. He was initially buried in the Masnières-Crevecoeur Rd Cemetery, and was later reburied at Flesquières Hill British Cemetery. I will visit both of those cemeteries as well.

He died on 3 October 1918, after he had been in France for more than a year. Everyone back home in New Zealand knew the war was coming to an end, and apparently my great-grandmother Johanna was devastated by his death.

I am nervous about driving in France on the other side of the road, and the tour covers the cost of a rental car as well as an English speaking guide who will drive me. It is expensive, but I will record what I discover for present and future generations of the family. It also means I won't end up hitch-hiking to visit the grave like I did 20 years ago!!

My paternal great-uncle, James Riordan, was born at Charing Cross in 1887 to Patrick RIORDAN and Mary BURKE. (My previous blog posts about him can be found here and here and here.) James Riordan was wounded when his unit was involved in the fighting at Flers-Courcelette in the Battle of the Somme. He then died a few weeks later from the wounds he received in action, and was buried at Etaples Military Cemetery, a huge cemetery south of Boulogne-sur-Mer, near where there were field hospitals.

The Cambrai Tourist Office told me I could contact the Albert Office de Tourisme to organise a tour to see the area near where he died, but I haven't had a reply from them. I might end up having to hire a car from Arras, but I notice the Albert tourist office also hires out bicycles, so perhaps I can organise to do that when I arrive. (Meanwhile I will make sure I am doing more cycling over the summer to get fitter before I depart!) I am not so worried about not having a tour organised in this area though, as the Ministry for Culture and Heritage have published a brilliant brochure and an App called Ngā Tapuwae that includes maps and audio guides for various trails on the Western Front. The 1916 Battle of the Somme is one of the areas this covers.

It is easy enough to reach the cemetery James is buried in. I can catch a train to Etaples from Paris, then walk a few kilometres along the highway to the cemetery, so it will be a day trip.

So that's the plan... and time is racing along so my departure will be here before I know it!

ADDENDUM: In the process of researching more about my Payn family great-uncles and great-aunts, I discovered that Mum had a first cousin who died in WW2, Robert Clarence Fleming. He was the son of Hilda Selina Payn and Robert Fleming, of Christchurch. He died on 27 July, 1944, and is buried in the Florence War Cemetery. I have worked out I can take a day trip by train from Milan to Florence when I reach Italy, to visit his grave. I will be jetlagged, but I am sure I can still manage to go there, and show my respects.

From Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

The Last Post

On October 3rd 1918, John Francis Payn, my great-uncle, was killed in action near Crevecoeur in northern France.

He was born in Kumara on the West Coast in 1895, the sixth child and second son of Francis Davis Payn and Johanna Scettrini.

He was a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment, NZEF. He departed New Zealand on 17 June 1917, and served in France for just over a year before his death on the battlefield.

Via Twitter, thanks to @NZLainey and @powderkeig, I learned about the Last Post ceremonies at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington. These have been held each evening to commemorate the 100 year anniversaries of New Zealand  involvement in World War 1. I decided to apply to read the Ode in English at the ceremony on October 3rd, 2018, the date marking 100 years since the death of John Francis Payn.

Leaving Palmerston North early-ish allowed time for some Wellington explorations. It was dull and a little drizzly first thing, but this seemed to bring out the very best in the tulips at the Botanical Gardens. Somehow, their brightness reminded me of poppies found today on the old battlefields.

Around 4pm it was time to get ready for the ceremony. I had taken my greenstone taonga to wear, which had belonged to a cousin on the Payn side. (I had also decided to wear a skirt to show respect- but the Wellington breeze was swirling around the memorial, so perhaps trousers would have been more suitable!)

When I arrived at Pukeahu I was very pleased to find my youngest sister, who lives in Wellington, had made it there. Lainey and Jane both arrived, and a cousin and her three children were also there. It was heartening to find I had such support.

Soon John, the organiser of the ceremony, arrived, and he made my sister and myself both very welcome. He talked me through what was to happen. Since it was a special anniversary, he said I could say a few words about John Francis, and lay a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the start of the ceremony. I was introduced to all the military participants, and they also made me very welcome.

The ceremony itself was simple and dignified. There was a senior officer who was in charge, two men to bring down the flags, and a bugler. This day there were three of us to read the Ode, including an Italian man who read it in Italian.

We marched out to our positions, and we three readers of the Ode stood just behind the tomb. I spoke briefly about John Francis and laid the wreath. Then the bugler played the still and the Last Post. We three read our versions of the Ode, in Te Reo, English, and Italian. And then everyone stood still for a minute's silence. At the end we all marched back into the shrine area. It was a simple ceremony, very respectful of the memory of those soldiers who had not come home.

John had a special gift for me before we all departed- this special '100' Last Post commemoration pin. He then kindly took photos of our family visitors in the shrine.

It was a special time at Pukeahu, and I feel privileged to have had the chance to honour the memory of John Francis Payn.

Payn Headstone- how things can change

Sometime early in my genealogical discoveries, I found out that the grave of my great-grandparents Frank Payn and Johanna Scettrini, was in Hokitika Cemetery, and I went there and found it.
It was a very simple headstone.

I might yet find I have another photo stashed away- though at the time I took fewer as they all had to be developed and paid for!- but it seems that I may have totally 'ignored' the fact that their son John F Payn, who died in France in WW1, had a plaque underneath his parents. This is visible in this online photo on the Westland Cemeteries site.

At the time I visited the cemetery it took me sometime to find the grave, so I drew myself a little 'map' for future visits. This might help some other visitors, but on a return visit my wayward use of left and right still had me muddled for a while even with my 'map'!

In the last couple of years Maurice Payn of Nelson, Frank and Johanna's grandson, and my mother's first cousin, has taken it upon himself to do something about renovating some of our original pioneer headstones. He arranged to have Frank and Johanna's grave redone to include more information about them, and here is what the headstone now looks like.

(And yes, the Arthur Thomas Payn in the next grave, is another grandson.)

Thanks are due to Maurice Payn for his efforts in taking care that these pioneer graves will still be able to tell their story to future Payn-Scettrini generations.

Next up- I must write some sort of summary of Frank Payn's life. 'Papers Past' has lots of bits about him...

Etaples Military Cemetery

I am nearing the end of collating all the information I have about James Riordan, fourth and youngest son of Patrick Riordan and Mary Burke. I've previously written about where he was buried in France. But I realise it might be useful if I describe how exactly to find his grave site, in case any family members want to visit the grave to pay their respects.

He is buried in the Etaples Military Cemetery, just a few kilometres north of the town of Etaples, south of Boulogne-sur-Mer along the Pas-de-Calais coast.

screenshot from Google Maps

The cemetery is huge- overwhelming. I cried when I saw it.

Luckily I had a map from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that helped me quickly identify which section of the cemetery to head for.

James Riordan's final resting place in France lies in Section VII, C.1.

We will remember them.

James Riordan

The plan is ... to stick to a plan! I am going to collate all the information I have about James Riordan, who died of wounds incurred near the Somme during the battle of Flers-Courcelette in WW1.

Today I found a map of where the battle of Flers-Courcelette took place, on a NZ History website. James Riordan was wounded in action on 22 September, 1916.

Map produced by Geographx with research assistance from Damien Fenton and Caroline Lord.
It originally appeared in Damien Fenton, New Zealand and the First World War (Penguin, Auckland, 2013).