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George Edmund Butler’s drawing, currently in the New Zealand Military Museum Collection, entitled “Full marching kit, Corporal J W Cahill, 16 October 1918″.
The artist’s annotation on this painting indicates that Corporal Cahill belonged to 14th Co, 2nd O.I.B., (14th Company, 2nd Otago Infantry Battalion), and gives his service number as 41132.
Note the campaign hat that was fairly unique to the New Zealanders at the time as well as the fine detail of the SMLE rifle.
14/2OIB was formed as part of the 2nd New Zealand Brigade, 1 New Zealand Division in Egypt in 1916 then sent to France, fighting almost non-stop from Flers-Coucelette to the hell of Passchendaele and Arras to Cambrai and then finally the Sambre.
The unit later served in WWII at El Alamein and Cassino and is currently 2/4 Battalion Otago and Southland Regiment as a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army.
Corporal Cahill’s military personal file is also held by Archives New Zealand (Archives Reference: AABK 18805 W5530 Box 30, 0021448 – CAHILL, John Walter – WW1 41132 – Army).
Image may be NSFW.
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Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
