James T HamiltonMy Great Grandfather

• Oldest son of a farmer• His family came

to NZ from Scotland

1st Generation Kiwi

Farmer

• Worked on the family farm at Awhitu• He was married

to Eleanor

Soldier• In 1917, he joined the NZ

Expeditionary Force (army) and was sent to France to fight in WWI

Training

• He spent several months in Featherston learning to be a soldier – getting fit, learning how to use a rifle and bayonet

Getting there

• TSS Ulimaroa troop ship. He helped in the kitchen.• They went through Panama Canal and stopped in NYC.

More training

• In England, the soldiers did more training with rifles, bayonets, marching, and getting fit (drills)• Grandad James

was a very good shooter

Gas masks

• They were given gas masks to protect them from poisonous gases the enemy used.

More training

• After 2 months, they were sent to France• He learned how

to use a machine gun and did more practice with rifle and bayonet

Friends

• On his day off, Grandad James went to a village and had his photo taken with his friend William Heffron• Heffron was killed

a few weeks later at the Battle of Le Quesnoy

Going “up the line”

• He fought in Battle of Somme• In the trenches• Digging, filling

sandbags, lookout duty, carrying water and duckboards, getting firewood

Lewis gun instructor• Because he was very

good a shooting, he taught other soldiers how to use the machine gun• He helped carry dead

and wounded soldiers and avoided bullets and shells himself• Mostly very cold and

wet in trenches

Last battle – Le Quesnoy• NZ soldiers helped to

take walled village of LeQuesnoy back from Germans• Grandad’s friend

Heffron was wounded then died

The war is over• After peace signed,

they walked through France, Belgium to Germany• It took 3 weeks• They saw all the

ruined villages• Stayed with local

people• Stayed in Germany

for 2 months before going home

A farmer again• After war, Grandad

bought his own farm and had four children• He never forgot the

friends he lost