Thomas Jeffs was born in England but enlisted in New Zealand.
He is listed on the Chunuk Bair war memorial in Gallipoli. He was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star. Thomas is memorialized on the Kaiti Beach war memorial in Gisborne, New Zealand where he resided on enlisting, also on the war memorial in his hometown of Brailes, Warwickshire, and on the Auckland Museum Cenotaph, Auckland, New Zealand.
Our Deathless Dead
by Thomas O'Hagan 1855-1939
What shall we sing of our heroes
Who died on the field of fame,
Whose patriot deeds of devotion
Our loving hearts proclaim?
Shall be count the stars of their glory,
And tell how they fought to save
The flag of our home and country
Now floating above each grave?
No; ours is a simple duty,
Devoid of trumped and tongue,
With meaning far deeper and greater
Than bard or poet has sung :
Our hearts mus beat to their measure;
Our feet keep pace to their tread,
If we would be worthy to honour
The graves of our deathless dead.
The world is linked with cycles,
Each lit with the glory of man
Whose rays of ripen'd splendor
Stream'd forth when freedom began;
For Persian yielded to Grecian
Till Roman valor won all,
Then the voice of the North rang loud and strong
That Rome itself must fall.
Where now is the Spartan soldier
Who fought with spear and shield,
Who lisp'd the names of the warlike gods
That taught him never to yield?
Where now are the Roman legions
That answered to victory's call,
And smiled when the voice of Caesar
Sounded the march to Gaul?
They live in the heart of history,
But not in the hearts of men'
Their names are red with crimson stain
Of Conquest's crime and sin'
They had no message of freedom,
They knelt at no altar but fame:
The gifts they brought to their vanquised foes
Were slavery, sin and shame.
But the years have blossomed with new-born thought
Adown long centuries' plain,
Has ripend's for man-not gain;
For the noblest thought in the world to-day
Takes counsel with Freedom's chain,
And bid him stand forth-a Man!
Then honor and love and tears we bring
To each grave of our patriot dead;
To the soldier who hearken'd to duty's voice'
To the great strong heart that led.
We shower o'er each breast, long, long at rest,
In rainblow blossom and hue,
The flowers of our heart, the flowers of our home-
God bless the brave and the true.
8 August 1915
Literally the high point of the New Zealand effort at Gallipoli, the attack on Chunuk Bair highlighted the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone. But a massive Turkish counter-attack on 10 August recaptured the position from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
The attack, which began on 6 August, was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were to meet at Rhododendron Spur and then move up to the summit of Chunuk Bair. It was an ambitious plan that depended on speedy execution.
The operation started well – men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Maori Contingent successfully cleared the way for the assault columns. But delays meant that the attack on the summit was ordered before all the infantrymen had reached the Spur.
The Auckland Battalion tried first and failed. The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone, refused to sacrifice his men in a daylight attack and insisted on waiting until night. Malone was a tough but respected commander from Taranaki who regularly put himself on the line for the welfare of his men. He allegedly told his superior, Brigadier-General Johnston: 'We are not taking orders from you people… My men are not going to commit suicide.'
The Wellington Battalion occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August. With sunrise came a barrage of fire from Turks holding higher ground to the north. A desperate struggle to hold Chunuk Bair ensued. It was not until after dark that the Otago Battalion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles arrived to reinforce the 70 Wellington Battalion men (out of 760) who were still holding the line. Malone had been killed by an Allied shell at about 5 p.m. The New Zealanders were relieved on the night of 9/10 August by British battalions, but these quickly succumbed to a counter-attack led by Mustafa Kemal, who was to become the founding President of Turkey.
A New Zealand memorial stands on the summit of Chunuk Bair. It has a narrow slit through which the rising sun shines on 8 August.
He is listed on the Chunuk Bair war memorial in Gallipoli. He was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star. Thomas is memorialized on the Kaiti Beach war memorial in Gisborne, New Zealand where he resided on enlisting, also on the war memorial in his hometown of Brailes, Warwickshire, and on the Auckland Museum Cenotaph, Auckland, New Zealand.
Our Deathless Dead
by Thomas O'Hagan 1855-1939
What shall we sing of our heroes
Who died on the field of fame,
Whose patriot deeds of devotion
Our loving hearts proclaim?
Shall be count the stars of their glory,
And tell how they fought to save
The flag of our home and country
Now floating above each grave?
No; ours is a simple duty,
Devoid of trumped and tongue,
With meaning far deeper and greater
Than bard or poet has sung :
Our hearts mus beat to their measure;
Our feet keep pace to their tread,
If we would be worthy to honour
The graves of our deathless dead.
The world is linked with cycles,
Each lit with the glory of man
Whose rays of ripen'd splendor
Stream'd forth when freedom began;
For Persian yielded to Grecian
Till Roman valor won all,
Then the voice of the North rang loud and strong
That Rome itself must fall.
Where now is the Spartan soldier
Who fought with spear and shield,
Who lisp'd the names of the warlike gods
That taught him never to yield?
Where now are the Roman legions
That answered to victory's call,
And smiled when the voice of Caesar
Sounded the march to Gaul?
They live in the heart of history,
But not in the hearts of men'
Their names are red with crimson stain
Of Conquest's crime and sin'
They had no message of freedom,
They knelt at no altar but fame:
The gifts they brought to their vanquised foes
Were slavery, sin and shame.
But the years have blossomed with new-born thought
Adown long centuries' plain,
Has ripend's for man-not gain;
For the noblest thought in the world to-day
Takes counsel with Freedom's chain,
And bid him stand forth-a Man!
Then honor and love and tears we bring
To each grave of our patriot dead;
To the soldier who hearken'd to duty's voice'
To the great strong heart that led.
We shower o'er each breast, long, long at rest,
In rainblow blossom and hue,
The flowers of our heart, the flowers of our home-
God bless the brave and the true.
8 August 1915
Literally the high point of the New Zealand effort at Gallipoli, the attack on Chunuk Bair highlighted the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone. But a massive Turkish counter-attack on 10 August recaptured the position from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
The attack, which began on 6 August, was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were to meet at Rhododendron Spur and then move up to the summit of Chunuk Bair. It was an ambitious plan that depended on speedy execution.
The operation started well – men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Maori Contingent successfully cleared the way for the assault columns. But delays meant that the attack on the summit was ordered before all the infantrymen had reached the Spur.
The Auckland Battalion tried first and failed. The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone, refused to sacrifice his men in a daylight attack and insisted on waiting until night. Malone was a tough but respected commander from Taranaki who regularly put himself on the line for the welfare of his men. He allegedly told his superior, Brigadier-General Johnston: 'We are not taking orders from you people… My men are not going to commit suicide.'
The Wellington Battalion occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August. With sunrise came a barrage of fire from Turks holding higher ground to the north. A desperate struggle to hold Chunuk Bair ensued. It was not until after dark that the Otago Battalion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles arrived to reinforce the 70 Wellington Battalion men (out of 760) who were still holding the line. Malone had been killed by an Allied shell at about 5 p.m. The New Zealanders were relieved on the night of 9/10 August by British battalions, but these quickly succumbed to a counter-attack led by Mustafa Kemal, who was to become the founding President of Turkey.
A New Zealand memorial stands on the summit of Chunuk Bair. It has a narrow slit through which the rising sun shines on 8 August.
Thomas Jeffs was born in England but enlisted in New Zealand.
He is listed on the Chunuk Bair war memorial in Gallipoli. He was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star. Thomas is memorialized on the Kaiti Beach war memorial in Gisborne, New Zealand where he resided on enlisting, also on the war memorial in his hometown of Brailes, Warwickshire, and on the Auckland Museum Cenotaph, Auckland, New Zealand.
Our Deathless Dead
by Thomas O'Hagan 1855-1939
What shall we sing of our heroes
Who died on the field of fame,
Whose patriot deeds of devotion
Our loving hearts proclaim?
Shall be count the stars of their glory,
And tell how they fought to save
The flag of our home and country
Now floating above each grave?
No; ours is a simple duty,
Devoid of trumped and tongue,
With meaning far deeper and greater
Than bard or poet has sung :
Our hearts mus beat to their measure;
Our feet keep pace to their tread,
If we would be worthy to honour
The graves of our deathless dead.
The world is linked with cycles,
Each lit with the glory of man
Whose rays of ripen'd splendor
Stream'd forth when freedom began;
For Persian yielded to Grecian
Till Roman valor won all,
Then the voice of the North rang loud and strong
That Rome itself must fall.
Where now is the Spartan soldier
Who fought with spear and shield,
Who lisp'd the names of the warlike gods
That taught him never to yield?
Where now are the Roman legions
That answered to victory's call,
And smiled when the voice of Caesar
Sounded the march to Gaul?
They live in the heart of history,
But not in the hearts of men'
Their names are red with crimson stain
Of Conquest's crime and sin'
They had no message of freedom,
They knelt at no altar but fame:
The gifts they brought to their vanquised foes
Were slavery, sin and shame.
But the years have blossomed with new-born thought
Adown long centuries' plain,
Has ripend's for man-not gain;
For the noblest thought in the world to-day
Takes counsel with Freedom's chain,
And bid him stand forth-a Man!
Then honor and love and tears we bring
To each grave of our patriot dead;
To the soldier who hearken'd to duty's voice'
To the great strong heart that led.
We shower o'er each breast, long, long at rest,
In rainblow blossom and hue,
The flowers of our heart, the flowers of our home-
God bless the brave and the true.
8 August 1915
Literally the high point of the New Zealand effort at Gallipoli, the attack on Chunuk Bair highlighted the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone. But a massive Turkish counter-attack on 10 August recaptured the position from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
The attack, which began on 6 August, was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were to meet at Rhododendron Spur and then move up to the summit of Chunuk Bair. It was an ambitious plan that depended on speedy execution.
The operation started well – men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Maori Contingent successfully cleared the way for the assault columns. But delays meant that the attack on the summit was ordered before all the infantrymen had reached the Spur.
The Auckland Battalion tried first and failed. The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone, refused to sacrifice his men in a daylight attack and insisted on waiting until night. Malone was a tough but respected commander from Taranaki who regularly put himself on the line for the welfare of his men. He allegedly told his superior, Brigadier-General Johnston: 'We are not taking orders from you people… My men are not going to commit suicide.'
The Wellington Battalion occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August. With sunrise came a barrage of fire from Turks holding higher ground to the north. A desperate struggle to hold Chunuk Bair ensued. It was not until after dark that the Otago Battalion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles arrived to reinforce the 70 Wellington Battalion men (out of 760) who were still holding the line. Malone had been killed by an Allied shell at about 5 p.m. The New Zealanders were relieved on the night of 9/10 August by British battalions, but these quickly succumbed to a counter-attack led by Mustafa Kemal, who was to become the founding President of Turkey.
A New Zealand memorial stands on the summit of Chunuk Bair. It has a narrow slit through which the rising sun shines on 8 August.
He is listed on the Chunuk Bair war memorial in Gallipoli. He was posthumously awarded the 1915 Star. Thomas is memorialized on the Kaiti Beach war memorial in Gisborne, New Zealand where he resided on enlisting, also on the war memorial in his hometown of Brailes, Warwickshire, and on the Auckland Museum Cenotaph, Auckland, New Zealand.
Our Deathless Dead
by Thomas O'Hagan 1855-1939
What shall we sing of our heroes
Who died on the field of fame,
Whose patriot deeds of devotion
Our loving hearts proclaim?
Shall be count the stars of their glory,
And tell how they fought to save
The flag of our home and country
Now floating above each grave?
No; ours is a simple duty,
Devoid of trumped and tongue,
With meaning far deeper and greater
Than bard or poet has sung :
Our hearts mus beat to their measure;
Our feet keep pace to their tread,
If we would be worthy to honour
The graves of our deathless dead.
The world is linked with cycles,
Each lit with the glory of man
Whose rays of ripen'd splendor
Stream'd forth when freedom began;
For Persian yielded to Grecian
Till Roman valor won all,
Then the voice of the North rang loud and strong
That Rome itself must fall.
Where now is the Spartan soldier
Who fought with spear and shield,
Who lisp'd the names of the warlike gods
That taught him never to yield?
Where now are the Roman legions
That answered to victory's call,
And smiled when the voice of Caesar
Sounded the march to Gaul?
They live in the heart of history,
But not in the hearts of men'
Their names are red with crimson stain
Of Conquest's crime and sin'
They had no message of freedom,
They knelt at no altar but fame:
The gifts they brought to their vanquised foes
Were slavery, sin and shame.
But the years have blossomed with new-born thought
Adown long centuries' plain,
Has ripend's for man-not gain;
For the noblest thought in the world to-day
Takes counsel with Freedom's chain,
And bid him stand forth-a Man!
Then honor and love and tears we bring
To each grave of our patriot dead;
To the soldier who hearken'd to duty's voice'
To the great strong heart that led.
We shower o'er each breast, long, long at rest,
In rainblow blossom and hue,
The flowers of our heart, the flowers of our home-
God bless the brave and the true.
8 August 1915
Literally the high point of the New Zealand effort at Gallipoli, the attack on Chunuk Bair highlighted the leadership of Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone. But a massive Turkish counter-attack on 10 August recaptured the position from British troops who had relieved the New Zealanders.
The attack, which began on 6 August, was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were to meet at Rhododendron Spur and then move up to the summit of Chunuk Bair. It was an ambitious plan that depended on speedy execution.
The operation started well – men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and the Maori Contingent successfully cleared the way for the assault columns. But delays meant that the attack on the summit was ordered before all the infantrymen had reached the Spur.
The Auckland Battalion tried first and failed. The commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone, refused to sacrifice his men in a daylight attack and insisted on waiting until night. Malone was a tough but respected commander from Taranaki who regularly put himself on the line for the welfare of his men. He allegedly told his superior, Brigadier-General Johnston: 'We are not taking orders from you people… My men are not going to commit suicide.'
The Wellington Battalion occupied the summit before dawn on 8 August. With sunrise came a barrage of fire from Turks holding higher ground to the north. A desperate struggle to hold Chunuk Bair ensued. It was not until after dark that the Otago Battalion and the Wellington Mounted Rifles arrived to reinforce the 70 Wellington Battalion men (out of 760) who were still holding the line. Malone had been killed by an Allied shell at about 5 p.m. The New Zealanders were relieved on the night of 9/10 August by British battalions, but these quickly succumbed to a counter-attack led by Mustafa Kemal, who was to become the founding President of Turkey.
A New Zealand memorial stands on the summit of Chunuk Bair. It has a narrow slit through which the rising sun shines on 8 August.
Gravesite Details
Private, Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F. Age: 30.
