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Darfield

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Corporal Rowland Francis Mulholland

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Malvern War Memorial

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Sergeant Arthur Henry Mulholland

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TitleSergeant Arthur Henry MulhollandSummaryA soldier in World War One. DescriptionArthur was born 28 February 1891 at Darfield, son of Daniel and Frances Mulholland, Darfield. Before enlisting he was working on his father’s farm. He had previous military experience having served with the territorials. He was 5ft 5¾in tall with a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. He was described as a young man of sterling character and the news of his death cast a gloom over the whole Darfield district.

He enlisted on 29 December 1914 at Trentham and was assigned to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. He embarked with the Fourth Reinforcements on 17 April 1915 bound for Suez, Egypt and disembarked in Alexandria on Boxing Day 1915. He was attached to the School of Instruction on 1st October 1916 for 3 weeks and was promoted to sergeant. He had two years active service in Egypt and Palestine but was killed in action, aged 26, on 26 March 1917 at Gaza. The First Battle of Gaza was fought on 26 March 1917 during the first attempt by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) to invade the south of Palestine. Fighting took place in and around the town of Gaza on the Mediterranean coast when infantry and mounted infantry from the Desert Column, a component of the Eastern Force, attacked the town. Arthur was buried in the Gaza War Cemetery. In New Zealand Arthur is remembered on the Malvern County War Memorial.

Gaza was bombarded by French warships in April 1915. At the end of March 1917, it was attacked and surrounded by the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in the First Battle of Gaza, but the attack was broken off when Turkish reinforcements appeared. The Second Battle of Gaza, 17-19 April, left the Turks in possession and the Third Battle of Gaza, begun on 27 October, ended with the capture of the ruined and deserted city on 7 November 1917. Casualty Clearing Stations arrived later that month and General and Stationary hospitals in 1918. Some of the earliest burials were made by the troops that captured the city. About two-thirds of the total were brought into the cemetery from the battlefields after the Armistice. The remainder were made by medical units after the Third Battle of Gaza, or, in some cases, represent reburials from the battlefields by the troops who captured the city.First NameArthur HenryLast NameMulhollandFamilySingleSon of Daniel and Frances Mulholland, DarfieldDate of Birth29 December 1891Place of BirthDarfieldDate of Death26 March 1917Place of DeathPalestineCause of DeathKilled in actionAge at Death26

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CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OnePersonDaniel MulhollandCorporal Rowland Francis MulhollandImageMalvern War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph

Military Service

Memorial or CemeteryGaza War CemeteryMalvern County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingFarmerRegiment or ServiceCanterbury Mounted RiflesEnlistment Details29th December 1914 at TrenthamService Number7/988Embarkation17th April 1915CountryNew Zealand

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Researched ByL. M. Seaton

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Sergeant Arthur Henry Mulholland