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Indian Express
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Know Your City: When the boys of Bengaluru's Bishop Cotton went to war
On the night of September 2, 1916, Britain faced a menace that it had seen over its skies for two years of World War I—the high-flying German Zeppelin. While the bombings by these airships did not impact the war effort, they did cause considerable property damage and instil fear across the country. Until then, Zeppelins had been destroyed in Europe, but not over Britain. That night, this would change. William Leefe Robinson, emptying three drums of ammunition before the airship exploded, became the first to achieve this feat. Robinson soon became an overnight celebrity. The Victoria Cross followed, and he was a household name across the United Kingdom. Back in India, another group had reason to cheer him on—the students and teachers of his alma mater in Bengaluru, Bishop Cotton Boys' School. More than a century later, Robinson and other alumni of Bishop Cotton were the topic of a talk by senior lawyer and author Aditya Sondhi at The Bangalore Room in Indira Nagar on Sunday. In his 2014 book, The Order of The Crest, Sondhi had documented the prominent alumni of Bishop Cotton, and had noted that over 175 Cottonians had volunteered for service in World War I. At the time, the students were mostly of European descent. The terrible, grinding trench warfare took its toll on these volunteers, and 23 of them were killed in action. Noel Saunders, who wrote the music for the famous school song, died in battle, as did a teacher, Cyril Walter Wallace, who had only weeks before written about the gallant death of one of his students leading an attack. Brothers Captain Robert and Lt Col Kenelm McCloughlin died fighting in France. So did Harold, Robinson's brother, who died just months before his brother achieved his great feat. Weakened by a stint in German captivity, Robinson himself would not live to see the inter-war years, dying in 1918 of the Spanish Flu. 'He had written to the warden a few months earlier (before his death in Mesopotamia) offering to join the staff of the school, pending his commission. He was remembered by many Bangaloreans for his role as Portia in the school's production of The Merchant of Venice in 1909,' Sondhi noted in his book. From Sondhi's accounts, it seems that Cottonians did not let the privations of warfare daunt them. Even as late as 1917, Sondhi quotes a Reverend Bazley, who notes that several students hoped that the war would continue until they graduated, so they too could volunteer. The sort of officer that the school sent to the war is perhaps exemplified by Lt Col Terence Claud Crichton, who went so far as to climb onto his men's shoulders to shoot at enemy soldiers defending a wall opposite him. A glance at the school's history in World War II throws up Indian names in the records. One of the earliest of these, and arguably the most well-known, was General K S Thimayya. Sondhi's research shows that Thimayya had a fighter's spirit from the early days—a fellow British student who tried to rag him for being an Indian found himself on the wrong end of a punch from Thimayya. Thimayya was one of the only Indians assigned a major battlefield command in World War II, and Sondhi records that he took a point known as Hill 109 in a morning attack after a climb up the hillside. This enabled the British forces to link up near Imphal, a crucial moment in breaking the siege of the town. An anecdote shared by Sondhi revealed that in the later years, Thimayya would, without ceremony, visit one of his old teachers at the school, who still knew him as 'Timmy'. 'I found a reference to one of his masters at school, Sergeant Burgess, who said to him – Like the princes of the states, you can earn your commission and be an officer, see the world and be a hero -. What a prophetic call….' Sondhi said at the talk. The number of brigadiers, generals, and senior air force officers from Bishop Cotton Boys' School in this period forms an exhaustive list. When the Partition split the country, it did not spare the school alumni either. Brigadier Mirza 'Hesky' Beg was one such former student who later went on to be known as one of the finest polo players in Pakistan.
Scoop
6 days ago
- General
- Scoop
150 Years Of Connection And Learning At Mt Cook School
150 years of education, diversity and inclusion will be celebrated in Mt Cook, Wellington next month when the current school gathers with past students, teachers, whanau and supporters to mark this important milestone. This is a particularly special occasion for one immediate past pupil, Sara Ha-Morris and her whānau. Sara's great, great, great, great grandmother Sarah Wilkinson was the first teacher/principal at the Mt Cook Girl's School that opened on 10 November 1875. An infant's school and boy's school were also established in 1875 and together formed what was then known as Buckle St school - now Mount Cook School. Now living in Korea, after a move with her whānau last month, Sara says, 'it feels really special to have that connection. It's amazing to know that I'll always have that link to Mt Cook School'. Principal, Adrianne McAllister, says the current students are really enjoying learning more about what school was like over the 150 years through both research and for the more recent experience, talking to past pupils. Notable alumni include William (Billy) James Hardham, the first ever New Zealander to be awarded a Victoria Cross. 'When you look through the history, it's also wonderful to see that Mt Cook School has always been a welcoming place known for its multi-cultural community. Today we have over 30 nationalities represented in our school community and we look forward to celebrating together at the end of August with events centred around our themes of 'Whakapapa' and 'Belonging'. I think Sarah would be very happy if she saw the thriving school we are today.' Celebrations are happening on 30th and 31st August 2025.
NZ Herald
17-07-2025
- General
- NZ Herald
New Zealand Wars: Unmarked grave of NZ Cross winner Captain Angus Smith in Ōpōtiki prompts call for memorial
What we do know is that Captain Smith won one of just 23 New Zealand Crosses awarded between 1856 and 1899, at which time New Zealand's top military medal was replaced by the Victoria Cross. These medals went to Māori and Pākehā who served in the New Zealand colonial forces during the New Zealand Wars, making the award one of the rarest military honours in the world. Captain Smith's medal is on display in the National Museum of Scotland. Nicol has lobbied for many years to have the names of war heroes from the East Coast etched on to war memorials and gravestones, his efforts gaining recognition for servicemen from World Wars I and II, Vietnam and Malaysia. 'To me, it is unacceptable that Smith, the first from this area to win the country's highest major military award at the time, does not have a marker on his grave,' he said. 'We have produced more war heroes from this part of the North Island than any other place in New Zealand – including Victoria Cross, George Cross and Distinguished Service Decoration winners. 'We should look after every one of them.' A Taranaki Herald description of Angus Smith said he was 'the beau ideal of an old cavalry officer, and personally was a fine-looking man'. Captain Smith's claim to fame is for his part in a bloody clash with Te Kooti's men when he was a young cavalry officer serving as a 'Cornet', the most junior officer rank of the day. He was in command of a unit ambushed on June 7, 1869, at a deserted Māori settlement at Ōpepe, on the shores of Lake Taupō. Colonel St John had set out with an escort of 14 men to select locations for the construction of redoubts and depots. After reaching Ōpepe, the abandoned kāinga of the chief Tahau overlooking Lake Taupō, the colonel decided it was a good location for a fort. St John left his men there and moved on without instructing the men to mount a guard. He said: 'You're as safe here as in the centre of London, safe as a church.' Not expecting any trouble, they piled their rifles and occupied three whare. The men shot some pigeons, killed some wandering sheep and washed their clothes. In the afternoon, they rested with their saddles and equipment stowed in a separate hut. Rain was falling, but one soldier, George Creswell, set off to look for a stray horse and returned later wet through. He took all his clothes off to dry them. Little did they know that an advance guard of Te Kooti's warriors, led by Te Rangi Tahau, was close by as they moved from Poverty Bay to the King Country. The Find a Grave Website says Captain Angus Smith lies in front of these two graves in Ōpōtiki Cemetery. Some say this group had been summoned by a spy among the colonials who had earlier lit mysterious signal fires. In any case, the 14 cavalrymen were suddenly surprised. Three Māori entered the camp armed with rifles. Not one of the troopers was armed, and when they tried to flee, the Māori opened fire. Creswell later said: 'There were a great many shots. I only had time for a hasty glance about me when I realised we were trapped. The place was full of Māori.' Stark naked, he made a run for it, managing to escape along with his comrade George Stevenson. Thinking they were the only two survivors, they made the 55km trek to Fort Galatea. Major John Roberts. The raiders killed nine members of the attachment outright, shooting down several who made a run for the bush. The marauding Māori collected 14 carbines, 14 revolvers, 14 swords, 14 saddles, 13 horses and 280 rounds of ammunition. This kit helped Te Kooti equip his 200 cavalrymen as they made their way to the King Country. A report in the Taranaki Herald said Captain Smith searched for the tracks of Colonel St John, but the rebels caught him on the road. The rebels stripped off his clothes and medals. They tied him to a tree and abandoned him to a slow death from thirst and starvation. Captain Smith remained there four days before managing to release himself, then headed north-south-west towards Fort Galatea. One report says he crawled to a stream and managed to drink on the seventh day, arriving at the fort with frostbite 10 days after the ambush. Did Smith deserve his medal? An account of the incident in the Taranaki Herald describes how the New Zealand Cross was bestowed on Angus Smith for bravery and endurance. Following his remarkable escape, the soldier was also promoted to Captain. The Imperial Government reissued the Crimean and Turkish medals Te Kooti's men stole from him. However, recriminations were swift. While the writer of the Taranaki Herald account gushed that Captain Smith was 'the beau ideal of an old cavalry officer, and personally was a fine-looking man', Captain Smith's fellow NZ Cross recipients saw things differently. The panel that opposed Captain Smith getting the NZ Cross included three who could perhaps be described as 'Land Wars heavyweights'. Major John Roberts, Captain Gilbert Mair and Captain George Preece were awarded their New Zealand Cross medals for bravery in combat. Interestingly, Captains Preece and Mair had considerable expertise in Māori language and culture. Both formed close relationships with Te Arawa, whose warriors they led in many skirmishes with Te Kooti's men. Major Roberts was active in the Taranaki wars under Gustavus von Tempsky, ahead of moving to Poverty Bay to confront Te Kooti, though he eventually handed pursuit of the rebel chief over to Mair and Preece. Captain George Preece. All three made it clear that, in their view, handing a NZ Cross to Captain Smith was a gross misuse of an honour reserved for valour, pointing out that he would normally expect to be court-martialled for dereliction of duty in failing to post sentries. As well as the loss of life in the colonial personnel at Ōpepe, Te Kooti's reward from the massacre was the trove of arms and ammunition he captured there. These were later used during his rampage across the North Island. Historians have argued over this, concluding that while Captain Smith did deserve to be censured, the bulk of the culpability had to lie with Colonel St John, who had known Te Kooti intended to march to Taupō. Though Captain Smith's medal was primarily for endurance rather than valour, none of his critics accused him of being a coward. Ahead of the fateful incident at Ōpepe, Captain Smith, who died in 1902, saw combat at Maukau, Te Ranga and Waireka. Before coming to New Zealand, he had served with the 93rd (Sutherland Highlanders) Regiment in the Crimean War. These soldiers were legendary. At the Battle of Balaclava in 1854, they formed the famous 'Thin Red Line', repelling a Russian cavalry charge with a formation of soldiers just two-deep, instead of the required four-deep formation. Captain Gilbert Mair. Colonel St John's career seemed to have survived his terrible advice to the soldiers at Ōpepe, because he turns up in a later newspaper report being praised by the writer for his fairness in overseeing balloting of land to soldiers after the wars. Years later in Ōpōtiki, George Creswell was talking to Māori who said: 'We could have got you that day George, when you were looking for your horse, but we didn't want to alarm your camp.'
News.com.au
15-07-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Posthumous Victoria Cross presented to family of Vietnam War hero Richard Norden
The family of the late Private Richard Norden has been formally presented with the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour, in recognition of his extraordinary bravery during the Vietnam War. At a special investiture ceremony held in Rockhampton on Tuesday, Private Norden's widow, Robynn Freeman, received the award on behalf of her late husband, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions. The recognition comes for his bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral on May 14, 1968. Private Norden's eldest son, Shane Norden Freeman, said his dad's army mates hate fought for him to be given the rare honour. 'It's been a long journey and there's been a lot of fighting going on in the background to get this for Dad,' Mr Freeman told the ABC. 'It didn't seem like this day would come. 'It's been 10 years of his army mates and police mates fighting for this – they've never given up.' Private Norden's platoon came under intense enemy fire during the battle. In the chaos, he showed 'remarkable courage and selflessness', rescuing a wounded soldier and recovering the body of another, despite facing heavy fire and having little cover. His actions helped secure the enemy position and likely saved the lives of many other soldiers. He was only 19 at the time. 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers.' Private Norden died in 1972 while serving with the ACT Police. 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers. 'I am honoured to have attended today's investiture ceremony to see Private Norden recognised with Australia's highest military honour.' Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh said he was pleased his family was finally receiving the honour. 'I'm so pleased that today, almost six decades after his heroic act, his family are finally receiving this important acknowledgment of his selfless service,' he said. 'Private Norden personified the Anzac spirit – disregarding his own safety to put his mates first.' Private Norden is the 102nd Victoria Cross recipient in Australia's history, and just the fifth Vietnam War veteran to receive the honour.
Perth Now
15-07-2025
- General
- Perth Now
VC for war hero after nearly 60 years
The family of the late Private Richard Norden has been formally presented with the Victoria Cross for Australia, the nation's highest military honour, in recognition of his extraordinary bravery during the Vietnam War. At a special investiture ceremony held in Rockhampton on Tuesday, Private Norden's widow, Robynn Freeman, received the award on behalf of her late husband, nearly 60 years after his heroic actions. The recognition comes for his bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral on May 14, 1968. Nearly 60 years after his acts of bravery in the Vietnam War, Private Richard Norden has been posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross. Credit: Supplied Private Norden's eldest son, Shane Norden Freeman, said his dad's army mates hate fought for him to be given the rare honour. 'It's been a long journey and there's been a lot of fighting going on in the background to get this for Dad,' Mr Freeman told the ABC. 'It didn't seem like this day would come. 'It's been 10 years of his army mates and police mates fighting for this – they've never given up.' Private Norden's platoon came under intense enemy fire during the battle. In the chaos, he showed 'remarkable courage and selflessness', rescuing a wounded soldier and recovering the body of another, despite facing heavy fire and having little cover. His actions helped secure the enemy position and likely saved the lives of many other soldiers. He was only 19 at the time. 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers.' Private Norden died in 1972 while serving with the ACT Police. The awarding of the Victoria Cross reflects Private Norden's courage and selflessness in the heat of battle, Defence Minister Richard Marles said. Credit: Supplied 'Private Richard Norden's bravery during the Battle of Fire Support Base Coral exemplifies the values we hold as Australians – those of tremendous courage and mateship,' Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said. 'Under fire from the enemy, Private Norden did not hesitate as he moved forward to help his fellow wounded soldiers. 'I am honoured to have attended today's investiture ceremony to see Private Norden recognised with Australia's highest military honour.' Minister for Defence Personnel and Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Matt Keogh said he was pleased his family was finally receiving the honour. 'I'm so pleased that today, almost six decades after his heroic act, his family are finally receiving this important acknowledgment of his selfless service,' he said. 'Private Norden personified the Anzac spirit – disregarding his own safety to put his mates first.' Private Norden is the 102nd Victoria Cross recipient in Australia's history, and just the fifth Vietnam War veteran to receive the honour. Governor-General Sam Mostyn presented the award on Tuesday.
