Most decorated · 13 medals and honours, 1 for gallantry
Brigadier General William Meldrum
William Meldrum was a Hunterville lawyer-farmer and part-time mounted rifleman who took the Wellington Mounted Rifles to Gallipoli at the age of 49, led the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade through the Sinai and Palestine campaigns and finished the war a brigadier general. He collected the CMG, DSO and CB, the Serbian Order of the White Eagle with Swords, five mentions in despatches that the Gazette confirms (the Cenotaph says six) and a long run of campaign and service medals, giving him 13 items in all, one of them a gallantry award.
13medals and honours
1of them for gallantry
His medals and honours
Won for gallantry
Gallantry award
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
1916 (awarded for services in the Sinai in 1916); Gazette 1 January 1917 · Sinai, Egypt · Lieutenant-Colonel, Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment
Gazetted: Supplement to the London Gazette 29886, 1 January 1917 (published 29 December 1916), p. 29
The DSO came in the 1917 New Year Honours for the Sinai campaign of 1916, listed as 'for distinguished service in the field' with no individual act named. In 1916 the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade fought the Turks across the Sinai, and Te Ara records that Meldrum temporarily commanded the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade with distinction after its brigadier was wounded. His own regiment fought at Romani that August and at Rafa on 9 January 1917, where it held off Turkish relief columns, cleared the sandhills towards the sea and acted as rearguard. His name appears in the Gazette's list of New Zealand and Canadian recipients between Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. R. Mackesy and Lieutenant-Colonel C. W. Melvill. This is his only gallantry award.
Wikipedia says the DSO was for 1916 services. The Rafa fighting itself fell on 9 January 1917, after the Gazette date, so Te Ara's mention of Rafa is background to his Sinai record rather than the reason.
Counted in his gallantry totalSource: London Gazette supplement 29886 p29 (read); Edinburgh Gazette 13033 p29; Te Ara DNZB; Wikipedia
Every other medal and honour (12)
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD)Date not found (qualifying service 1900 to about 1920; Te Ara and Wikipedia list it among his awards) · New ZealandLong and meritorious service as a part-time commissioned officer: he formed the Hunterville Mounted Rifle Volunteers in 1900 and commanded the 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles Regiment by March 1914.1914-15 Star1914-1915 · Egypt and GallipoliQualified by Main Body service from October 1914 (Egypt) and the Gallipoli landing of the Mounted Rifles on 12 May 1915.Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG)Chunuk Bair, 6-10 August 1915; gazetted January 1916 · Gallipoli (Table Top, Destroyer Hill and Chunuk Bair)Meldrum's CMG recognised his regiment's work in the August 1915 offensive. On the evening of 6 August the Wellington Mounted Rifles took Destroyer Hill and Table Top, the features guarding the approach to Chunuk…Order of the White Eagle, 4th Class with Swords (Serbia)Gazetted 15 February 1917 (Wikipedia, citing Stowers, says for his Gallipoli services) · Serbian Government honour, conferred on British and dominion officersIn February 1917 the Gazette published a long list of British Empire officers to whom the King of Serbia had awarded the Order of the White Eagle with Swords, the military division of the order. Meldrum is listed as…Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB)12 December 1919 · Egypt and PalestineMeldrum took command of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade on 23 April 1917 after General Chaytor moved up to command the Anzac Mounted Division, and he led it through the battle of Beersheba, the fighting at…British War Medal 1914-201914-1918 · Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai, PalestineAwarded for overseas service in the war.Victory Medal (with oak leaf for the Mention in Despatches)1914-1919 · Egypt, Gallipoli, Sinai, PalestineAwarded to those who served in a theatre of war; the oak leaf is the emblem for a Mention in Despatches and is not a separate award.New Zealand Long and Efficient Service MedalDate not found · New ZealandLong service in the military forces, 1900 onward (the medal was issued 1887-1931; from 1920 all ranks were eligible after 16 or 20 years, with service in the war counting double).New Zealand Territorial Service MedalDate not found · New ZealandLong Territorial Force service (the medal, instituted 1911, was for twelve years' service).War Medal 1939-19451939-1945 · New Zealand (Home Guard)Listed on the Cenotaph for his Second World War home service as Home Guard group director (1941-42) and Armed Forces Appeal Board chairman (1942-44).New Zealand War Service Medal1939-1945 · New Zealand (Home Guard)Awarded for six months' part-time service in the Home Guard during the Second World War, which fits his 1941-42 role as group director.Mentioned in Despatches28 January 1916 to 12 January 1918 (Gazette-confirmed) · Gallipoli, Sinai and PalestineI read five Gazette entries naming him. The first (28 January 1916, rank lieutenant-colonel, Wellington Mounted Rifles) relates to Gallipoli. The next three (July 1916, December 1916, July 1917) give his rank as…
His story
Lawyer, farmer and mounted rifleman
Born at Kamo near Whangarei, he trained in law, became a barrister and solicitor in 1889, practised at Hunterville from 1891 and played rugby and cricket for Auckland and won the New Zealand chess title in 1896. In 1900 he formed the Hunterville Mounted Rifle Volunteers and by March 1914 commanded the 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles Regiment.
Source: Te Ara DNZB; Wikipedia
Embarks with the Main Body
At 49 he was one of the oldest men in the force, commanding the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. The Cenotaph calls him the second oldest man at Gallipoli after Colonel Mackesy.
Source: NZEF Project; Online Cenotaph
Gallipoli: Table Top and Chunuk Bair
Landed on 12 May. On 6 August his regiment took Destroyer Hill and Table Top; two nights later it reinforced Chunuk Bair, where he held the crest for about 24 hours. Gazetted CMG on 14 January 1916 and mentioned in despatches on 28 January 1916.
Source: Wikipedia; Te Ara DNZB; London Gazette 29438, 29455
Sinai
Temporarily commanded the 2nd Australian Light Horse Brigade when its commander was wounded; led his regiment at Rafa. DSO gazetted 1 January 1917 and Serbian White Eagle with Swords on 15 February 1917.
Source: Te Ara DNZB; London Gazette 29886, 29945
Brigadier general
After the second battle of Gaza he was appointed temporary brigadier general commanding the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade from 23 April 1917, replacing Chaytor.
Source: London Gazette 30170 p6778; Te Ara DNZB
Beersheba, Ayun Kara and Amman
The brigade encircled Beersheba, took and held the heights at Ayun Kara near Jaffa, and carried out the raid on Amman in winter rain. Te Ara also records the Surafend massacre of December 1918 as a failure by troops under his command.
Source: Te Ara DNZB
CB
Made Companion of the Bath for valuable services in Egypt and Palestine; struck off NZEF strength on 7 September 1919.
Source: London Gazette 31684 p15440; Online Cenotaph
Magistrate, mayor and Home Guard
Law in New Plymouth, then magistrate at Greymouth (1921-34), mayor of Greymouth (1935-38), Home Guard group director (1941-42) and Armed Forces Appeal Board chairman (1942-44). Died at Burnham Camp on 13 February 1964.
Source: Te Ara DNZB; Wikipedia
Rank and insignia
The ranks he held, and the badge a soldier of that rank wore. These are simplified illustrations.
Second lieutenant1900 · Hunterville Mounted Rifle VolunteersShoulder strap: one pipLieutenant-Colonelby March 1914 · 6th (Manawatu) Mounted RiflesShoulder strap: crown and one pipLieutenant-ColonelAugust-October 1914 · Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment, NZEFShoulder strap: crown and one pipTemporary Brigadier Generalfrom 23 April 1917Shoulder strap: crown and three pipsLieutenant-Colonelto 1919; struck off strength 7 September 1919 · temporary Brigadier GeneralShoulder strap: crown and three pips
His ships
ArawaTroopship, NZEF Main BodySailed from Wellington 16 October 1914; the Cenotaph gives the transport as HMNZT 6 or 10, so the number is uncertain.StateLibQld 1 133353 Arawa (ship) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Afterwards
Meldrum went home to a collapsed personal life: his first wife had left him, wool prices wrecked his farms and gold-dredging investments failed in the 1930s. He practised law briefly at New Plymouth, then served as magistrate at Greymouth from 1921 to 1934, known for leniency to returned servicemen, and as mayor of Greymouth from 1935 to 1938. He divorced in 1927 and married Clare Dodson, with whom he had three children.
In the Second World War he was group director of the Home Guard for Greymouth and Westport (1941-42) and chaired the local Armed Forces Appeal Board (1942-44). He died of a stroke at Burnham Camp on 13 February 1964, aged 98, while visiting his son, Major William J. D. Meldrum, and is remembered at Greymouth. Gordon Sylvester's 2013 biography 'The Brig' covers his life.
Later awards, not counted here: War Medal 1939-1945 (Cenotaph; doubtful); New Zealand War Service Medal.
This is the Service Record sign as we would make it from his record: his rank, name, regiment, number and date of embarkation. The medals on the sign are worked out automatically, so the medals listed above are the ones to rely on.
The Service Record
Photograph
We haven’t hosted a photograph here
Rather than copy someone else’s image onto our own site, we’d rather send you to see it where it’s properly held: his full record at the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Online Cenotaph.
White Eagle class: Gazette (supplement 29945, p1606-1607) shows 4th Class with Swords; the Cenotaph agrees; NZEF Project says 5th Class (wrong).
Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration and Volunteer Officer's Decoration (VD) are listed separately on the Cenotaph but are the same award; counted once.
Mentions in despatches: Gazette confirms five (28 Jan 1916, 13 Jul 1916, 1 Dec 1916, 6 Jul 1917, 12 Jan 1918); Cenotaph/NZEF Project say six (sixth 12 Jan 1920, not found); Wikipedia says four. Counted as one item regardless. Victory Medal oak leaf is this same emblem.
Uncertain items (Cenotaph only, no second source): NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal, NZ Territorial Service Medal and War Medal 1939-1945 (28 days full-time service doubtful for a Home Guard director). Without these three his total would be 10.
Gallantry count is 1 (DSO). The White Eagle with Swords is treated as an order; counting it as foreign gallantry would make 2.
Gazette dates: CMG supplement dated 14 Jan 1916; DSO 1 Jan 1917 (issued 29 Dec 1916).
Te Ara DNZB could be read only through a browser session; WebFetch was blocked.
