MELVILLE MIRFIN YOUTH

Transcription

1 MELVILLE MIRFIN Born 1 st August 1890 on the family farm in Ikamatua in the Rough River Valley, Greymouth. Son of William Craven and Sarah Mirfin, (nee Walker). In 1865 William was the overseer of Works for the Nelson Provincial Government. Melville was one of eight children, seven boys and one girl. He attended Little Grey School as a young boy. Melville was one of four brothers who served in World War 1, with all four surviving. YOUTH Melville was sent to Nelson Boy s College and spent three years there from 1903 to He participated in all activities at the College from Rugby to Athletics. He was in the winning 1906 Rugby team that won the Harper Shield. While Melville was attending College he met the College s most famous student, Ernest Rutherford. In the School holidays Melville would have to undertake the long trek home either by stagecoach or by Steamer from Nelson to Greymouth.

2 In 1909 Melville won the Sheffield Handicap Athletics race which was held at a fund raising day for the Ross Hospital. On leaving school Melville began his working life at the Bank of New South Wales in Greymouth. PRE WAR At age 21 Melville was working at the Bank of NSW in Greymouth. While living and working in Greymouth Melville would, on occasions, enter professional athletic events where he could win as much as five pounds at a time. Considering his annual bank salary was 25 pounds this was very good money. He was a good sprint racer. In 1914 Melville transferred to the Bank of New South Wales in Palmerston North and this was his address up to enlisting. He belonged to the Ambulance Corps in Palmerston North which meant he was put straight into the Medical Corps Melville commenced duty on the 11 th of August 1914 as a Private and was attached to the New Zealand Army Medical Corps Unit. His Army number was 3/58. He sailed for Samoa on the 15 th of August 1914 on the Moeraki, arriving 18 days later. While in Samoa he became ill with Dengue Fever and spent a short period of time in the Hospital there Melville returned from Apia, Samoa aboard Talune on the 7 th of April 1915 and re-enlisted on arriving back in Wellington. He then embarked on the 21 st of May 1915 from Wellington on the Marama. Destination was Sydney, Australia. He was then transferred to RMS Moldavia for Egypt. He was attached to the No. 1 Stationary Hospital. By November of this year Melville was serving in Salonika and was temporarily attached to No. 7 Base Depot Medical Stores for a

3 period of almost three weeks, returning to his own unit on the 21 st of November. He assisted to set up a Field Hospital. In December of 1915 Melville was given special mention for gallant behaviour in assisting and saving lives of others at great personal risk on October 23 rd on which date HM Transport Marquette was sunk by a torpedo by a German submarine. The ship carried many of the No1 Stationary Hospital staff of which Melville was a part of. In all 167 troops and crew died in this incident. Melville dived into the rapidly sinking ship to assist the patients from the sick bay to the main deck. After the ship sank he continued to assist people in the water and to get them into lifeboats. It was reported that he was in the water for possibly up to eight hours. A letter that Melville sent to his Aunty in Nelson, dated the 20 th of December 1915, stated that they were the only New Zealand troops in Salonika and had been there since the 25 th of October. In this letter he says, We just went into camp and waited for fresh equipment and hospital gear to come from Alexandria and we now have the place going full swing. He also talked about a lot of sickness and a great number of frostbitten feet and that all the patients were British. He gave them clothing from New Zealand which was greatly appreciated In February Melville wrote to his brother Ash. In this he states, Health of boys seems better now although a fair number of them are down still but nothing serious. We are very well fitted out and getting real good food which means a great deal. He then goes on to say, 3.45 am, have just come in again and what do you think our experience this time, why a Zeppelin raid, the airship dropped quite a number of bombs. I happened to look up, it was a clear starry night but no moon, when my eyes fell on a dark object the shape of a cigar moving directly towards us, dropping here and there until it was directly overhead and we expected to hear an explosion near at hand.

4 Melville was appointed Corporal in April. He embarked on the Dover Castle on the 2 nd of June 1916 at Alexandria and disembarked at Le Havre on the 13 th of June In March he was appointed to Temporary Lance Sergeant and then in May appointed to Temporary Sergeant. At this time Melville was stationed in Amiens, France. In November 1917 he was promoted to Sergeant. Melville was admitted to Hospital once in 1917, this being in November and December for a period of 22 days. Once discharged from Hospital he returned to his unit in France On the 30 th of May 1918 he was appointed Temporary Staff Sergeant. In June Melville spent time back in Hospital with influenza and then had a short period of leave in France for 14 days in November. He was promoted to Staff Sergeant in December of The same month he had leave in England. Melville spent the rest of the war at various Stationary Hospitals in France It was again noted on Melville s Army record that his gallant behaviour was bought to the attention of the Secretary of State for services rendered on the occasion of the sinking or damage by enemy action of Hospital ships, transports and Store ships. At the end of the war Melville spent time in various administration jobs in London before returning home. Melville sailed back to New Zealand aboard the Ayrshire and arrived back in September. Melville was discharged on the 18 th of October He served a total of 5 years, 69 days, with 4 years, 359 days being overseas duty.

5 He received the Star, the British War medal and the Victory Medal. In all Melville had served in Samoa, Egypt, the Balkans and in Western Europe. POST WAR Melville received a certificate from the King and signed by Winston Churchill as recognition for his actions during the war. Melville was a great collector and kept all the tickets and programmes of the shows he saw in London while on leave. After the war Melville stayed in the same profession as a Bank Clerk or Officer for the Bank of New South Wales but moved around with a few transfers. The Bank was a great employer and had paid Melville s wages for the entire time he was away and had even arranged for the money to be sent from New Zealand to London for spending money while on leave. He returned to take up a position at Palmerston North. He spent time in Fielding and Tokomaru Bay. In 1931 Melville married Myrtle McKay. Myrtle was born on the 2 nd of March In 1935 Melville was back in Greymouth as a Bank Officer but by 1935 he was the Bank Manager in Ranfurly. In 1949 he was a Bank Manager in Oamaru, still with the Bank of New South Wales. He retired in 1954 and had moved to Fendalton by Melville died in Christchurch on the 25 th of November 1976 and Myrtle died in Compiled by Robyn Parkes 2014 as part of the WW100 exhibition at Nelson Provincial Museum