Last Surviving Veterans

A list of surviving Crimean War and Indian Mutiny veterans, which was recently compiled in England, includes Sergeant-Major E. Bezar, aged 95, of Wellington, who is also well known as a Maori War veteran, Mr. M. Gill, aged 96, of Palmerston North, and Mr. James Crawford, aged 103, of Central Otago.

The list of names, which was drawn up in September of this year, was sent to Sergeant-Major Bezar. The number of survivors given, at that time was 31, the oldest British soldier living being a Mutiny veteran, Patrick Scully, aged 108. Apart from Messrs. Crawford and Scully there is only one other survivor reported as being over 100 years of age. This is Mr. W. W. Freeman, of South Australia. There also several only three or four years short of being centenarians.

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 134, 4 December 1933, Page 6