Stuckley F Major 6th Hauraki Regiment New Zealand Expeditionary Force
STUCKEY, FREDERICK, Major, 6th (Hauraki) Regt., New Zealand Expeditionary Force, s. of the late Samuel Stuckey, of Christchurch, New Zealand (a native of Somersetshire, England); b. Christchurch, New Zealand, 8 April, 1877; educ. Nelson College (where he was winner of the Gymnastic and Swimming Champion- ships); travelled in Europe for two years to qualify himself in French and German, and on his return joined the New Zealand T.F.; became Capt. 13 May, 1912; volunteered for Imperial service after the outbreak of war and was appointed Capt. 6th Regt. New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 1 Sept. 1915, and later Major; left for Egypt with the main body in Oct.; took part in the landing at the Dardanelles, 25 April, 1915, and was thereafter missing, and is now assumed to have been killed in action the same day.
The Col. wrote: “The last I saw of him was as he was gallantly leading his company up a ridge that ran to the left of Shrapnel Gully, and later in the day it was reported that he had been severely wounded (through the stomach, and if I remember correctly, through the chest), and that his men were unable to get him back. My report to the A.A.G. was missing and severely wounded, believed killed, but as rumours were about that he had been taken off to a hospital ship, this was altered to wounded. Personally, I do not think there is any chance that he is a prisoner in the hands of the Turks”; and an officer of the 3rd Auckland Regt. : “At the time he was wounded I was on the lookout for any New Zealand officers, especially those I knew. I was on duty on an Auxiliary Hospital Ship Lutzow. I had two trips in her, and we arrived in Alexandria in company with many other ships, all of which I visited each time. I had heard the Major was severely wounded, and was especially looking out for him, but never found a trace of him having landed back in Egypt, where practically all the wounded went. Neither could I find him in any hospital in Alexandria. I did hear that he was in a Cairo hospital, but on further enquiries could not trace him. I also asked our Base Commandant at Alexandria to make a thorough search, which I am sure he did. Several of the Hauraki men told me they had seen the Major put on board a lighter on the Anzac Beach, and I am quite prepared to believe this. It is more than probable that he died before reaching the hospital, and was taken away in a mine sweeper and buried at sea, without his name being noted in the fearful rush of wounded which came from shore the first day or two. The Major was very popular with men and officers alike, in fact almost the most popular, he was always so fair.” He was unm.
Source : De Ruvigny’s Roll Of Honour Vol 1