Lieut. Ewen George Pilling

Ewen George Pilling was born at Millers Flat in Otago, New Zealand, on 20 December 1893. His parents were Samuel Ewen Pilling and Mary Elizabeth Pilling (nee Cottle) who had married in Dunedin on 7 April 1890. Ewen attended Otago Boys’ High School. During World War I he served with the Otago Infantry Regiment. He saw action at Gallipoli. Ewen was part of the assault on Messines Ridge in Belgium. He was killed in action there on 7 June 1917. Ewen is remembered on the Messines Ridge New Zealand Memorial.

Extracts from Ewen's letters home

"Here again, back to a dug-out! Tomorrow we return to the trenches. Our spell over at Imbros was all too short, but a pleasant change. We left there at daylight on big lighters towed by little tugs, and on getting out to sea a bit, we transhipped to mine-sweepers, which took us across the fifteen-mile sheet of water. It was queer to live under canvas again. Imbros is a fair-sized island, similar to Lemnos, which I described in a letter you may get later. Great work has been done there by sinking captured German vessels, and by mooring others into permanent positions. There are gangways and stages. The workers are many and varied, and it is interesting to watch the men of different nationalities at work. I put through all my money there and now am "stumped," until next pay. But as we will have no chance to spend here it is as safe in the army office as in my purse. What ho! for the time we will be back in New Zealand, galloping over the tussock instead of fighting Turks, dodging shells in dug-outs, and sitting in a trench waiting for a shell that may blow you to pieces!" - Ewen George Pilling (23 July 1915).

"The heat was intense. So was our thirst and we got only half a bottle of water per man per day...Great was our delight when our first drink of tea came along the trench, passed from hand to hand in a kerosene tin. It was full of tea leaves, and by the time it reached our end of the trench it was muddy from the dusty walls - but it was nectar." - Ewen George Pilling.

Sources

1. Bruce Herald (30 August 1917, p. 5).
2. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
3. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohP.html / Ref 14.4.2021
4. New Zealand History: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/ewen-george-pilling
5. Otago Daily Times (16 October 1915, p. 8).