Boer War Memorial Service

Wreaths will be laid at Marlborough’s Boer War memorial at Tua Marina cemetery at 10.00 am on Sunday, 21 October, to commemorate the departure of the first troops to leave our shores for the Boer War and to remember the eleven Marlborough casualties of that conflict.

The Boer War was the first time New Zealand had ever deployed troops to a foreign theatre of war. New Zealand was the first of the British colonies to send troops and the first Marlborough soldiers arrived in South Africa less than three weeks after war had been declared.

The first contingent of Blenheim Mounted Rifles was led by Lieutenant D’arcy Chaytor, son of the Marlborough military family who farmed the family estate at Marshlands. His elder brother Lieutenant Edward Chaytor also served in South Africa, leading the North Island Company of the Third (Rough Riders) Contingent.

During the course of the conflict, the Marlborough Mounted Rifles sent 60 men with the various New Zealand contingents to South Africa.

On Sunday, Marlborough RSA president Ernie Thomson will lead the service at Tua Marina and Marlborough RSA vice president Peter Slape will be the guest speaker.

Mayor Alistair Sowman will lay a wreath at the memorial as will Kaikoura MP Colin King.