In 1911, my great uncle, Archibald Frank Mortimer, emigrated from Chiswick, England to New Zealand to work as a farmer. In 1914, he enlisted in the New Zealand Canterbury Mounted Rifles as a trooper (7/881). Because many New Zealanders had migrated there, they were very interested in their homeland and recruitment was easy. Recruitment levels were high and conscription was not brought in until 1916. He went to Egypt on 14th February 1915 where a lot of his comrades perished. Originally intended for the defence of Suez, they were diverted to Gallipoli under General Sir Ian Hamilton's Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. With other ANZACs, he was involved in fighting at Chunuk Bair on the 6th August and most of the rest of the month for little gain of territory. On 27th August 1915, he was involved in an attack on Kaiakij Aghala. He was killed in action and his death was officially listed on 28th August. Of the 16 officers and 280 others in his unit, only 1 officer and 39 others survived.