MEMBERS OF THE NZEF 1914 - 1918
WITH A NEXT-OF-KIN ADDRESS IN SCOTLAND.
A - L

From Alistair McEwen
In 1910, James Hamilton who owned a Greengrocer shop in Gullane, East Lothian decided to emigrate with his wife, Mary, son Robert and daughter Mary Euphemia (Effie) to New Zealand. He had ambition to grow the fruit that he had seen coming into his shop in Scotland. The family sailed on 11 December 1910 on RMS Iconic and arrived in Dunedin on 31 December 1910.
A year later they went up country, lived in tents, built their own house and established an apricot orchard in Ettrick, Otago. They were joined in Ettrick by David Sibbald who had been their delivery boy in Gullane, Scotland. He had emigrated to Canada at the same time as they went to New Zealand but a very harsh winter in Canada made him change his plans. He returned to Scotland on ss Hesperian from Montreal to Glasgow, arriving on 25 September 1910 and move on to New Zealand.
Both David Sibbald and Robert Hamilton enlisted and both were killed in France. Effie, the daughter, never married and the farm was bequeathed to their neighbours in Ettrick. The house "Gullane" that they built still stands in Ettrick beside the apricot orchard.
Lance Corporal Robert Marshall Hamilton, NZ Rifle Brigade, born on 20 November 1897 in Gullane, East Lothian, Scotland, he was the son of James Hamilton, a Greengrocer, and Mary Hamilton, of 1 Main Street, Dirleton. The family emigrated to New Zealand in 1908 and set up home in Ettrick, South Island. He joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 27 February 1917. He embarked from Wellington on board ss Athenie on 16 July 1917 arriving in Liverpool on 16 September 1917. He left for France on 20 February 1918 and joined his battalion in the field on 1 April 1918. On 28 July 1918 he was assigned to the division Lewis Gun school and rejoined his unit on 10 August 1918.
On 24 August he was wounded in action but stayed on duty. On 28 August he was killed in action, age 21, in the advance on Bapaume and is buried in the Grevilliers British Cemetery near Bapaume. Surviving sibling was Effie.

The Scotsman 4 November 1916
Second Lieutenant William HOWDEN, 1st Battalion, Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, died 30/09/1916, was the eldest son of James Howden, 286 Ettrick Street, Invercargill, New Zealand, formerly of Camelon, Falkirk. Prior to emigrating with his parents about 1911, he was employed as a Moulder in the Scottish Central Iron Works, Falkirk, and he continued to follow that occupation on settling in Invercargill. He enlisted as a private in the New Zealand Infantry in October 1914, and embarked with the first contingent that left for Gallipoli, fighting through the whole of the campaign, with the exception of a month when he was off slightly wounded. His abilities as a soldier were noted by his officers, and promotion came rapidly. Before leaving the Dardanelles he was raised to the rank of Sergeant Major. He received his commission on 16th July 1916.

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