The 1914/15 Star trio awarded to Sgt Bryan Thomas Elsmore, who served on Gallipoli and in Palestine, where he was wounded in action.

 

Bryan Thomas Elsmore was born 31st December 1881 at Auckland, New Zealand. Son of Frederick John and Elizabeth Elsmore. He was employed by the firm of J.J. Craig as a seaman, shipping timber to Australia. Elsmore married Hester Violet Smithson in 1905. On the outbreak of war in 1914, Elsmore enlisted as was posted to 3rd (Auckland) Squadron, Auckland Mounted Rifles and embarked with the Main Body in October 1914.

 

Elsmore was promoted to lance-corporal before landing on Gallipoli in June 1915. He was evacuated off the peninsula a few weeks later suffering from haemorrhoids. He was evacuated to Malta and England where he recovered, returning to his unit in January 1916. He served in the field at the Battle of Romani in August 1916, where he was promoted to t/sergeant. In December 1916 he embarked for New Zealand on furlough.

 

In May 1917 Elsmore was posted to the 25th Reinforcements, NZMR and promoted to squadron sergeant-major. He served in Egypt until reverting to the rank of sergeant in December 1917 and was posted to his unit in January 1918.  On 20th February 1918, in the Jordan Valley, the NZMR Brigade was ordered to clear Jebel el Kalimun. When the Canterbury Mounted Rifles attacked at the wrong place, the Auckland's were brought up and cleared the hill in a superb mounted charge. During this engagement Elsmore was wounded, but remained with this troops. He was in the field during the famous raid into Gilead, across the Jordan River by the NZMR Brigade on 23rd April 1917. This was an action describe in "A Story of Two Campaigns" as "a day of the most audacious gallantry ever achieved by the horsemen of this campaign", and resulted in events that happened so rapidly that "when the Regiment was relieved from the outpost line at dusk, the men could hardly realise what they had done. A total of 50 Turks were killed, 60 were captured, besides four machine-guns, at a cost of one officer killed, and one officer and one man wounded....It need hardly be said that the extraordinary success of the day gave the A.M.R. a wonderful reputation among the Tommies. Many of them said they had never dreamed such riding possible."

 

By September 1918 Elsmore was suffering from appendicitis, and in December 1918 he embarked for New Zealand where he was discharged as a result of illness he had suffered on active service. He returned to civilian life as a Master Mariner, residing in Wellington, and in 1923 he and his wife divorced. Elsmore married Maude Fernandez in 1924, and died at Taita on 5th January 1962.

 

All medals are correctly impressed 13/49 SJT. B.T. ELSMORE. N.Z.E.F.

 

Note: The group photo (digital copy only) shows Main Body men of the Auckland Mounted Rifles in Palestine in 1918. Elsmore will be one of the sergeants in this photo. Credit: National Army Museum 992.1173.2

Service file held at Archives New Zealand