WW1 NZEF trio medal group 9th East Coast Wellington MR Gallipoli
Description
WW1 NZEF 1914/15 star, British war medal, Victory medal trio. All correctly impressed to ; 11/291 Tpr G.W Henderson NZEF. Henderson was one of the 98 Gallant ( 9th squadron East Coast Wellington Mounted Rifles ) troopers who held out for 24 hours whilst surrounded by overwhelming Turkish forces (estimated at 3000) in the fierce battle for Old No3 post Gabe Tepe Gallipoli. Given the impossible task to hold the untenable postion taken by the Canterbury MR on the evening of the 29/5/15, the Wellingtons fought a desperate action where "even the greviously wounded" had to fight. During the pitch battle the New Zealanders were bombarded with Turkish grenades. As they had none of their own, they had to catch & return in kind. During this fight New Zealands Boer War Victoria cross recipient Capt William Hardham V.C was badly wounded, as was Henderson who sustained multiple serious wounds (Gun shot wound right foot, about a dozen shrapnel wounds to right side, trunk hand & abdomen). Two unsucessful attempts to break through to the encircled Troopers were made & finally the third attempt 24 hours later a corridor was established, allowing the wounded to be evacuated using great coats, as the terrain was so difficult stretchers were unable to be used. In all of the gallant 90 WMR had, 4 Officers & 15 OR's killed & 52 wounded. The fact that Henderson survived so badly wounded (particularly the usually fatal abdominal wound ) is somewhat of a miracle. Medals VF+
