Soldier's steadfast loyalty ultimately led to death

IMPOSING: George Wallace Bollinger, a towering Hastings rugby representative, was said to be the tallest man in the Wellington Infantry division. REF: PACOLL-0049-1. ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY, WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND.

In the first group of volunteer soldiers to leave Hastings on August 17, 1914, was George Bollinger, a 25-year-old bank teller who worked at the Bank of New South Wales on the corner of Heretaunga St East and Market St.

He was born in New Plymouth and had transferred to the Hastings branch 18 months previously from Cambridge. He lived in a boarding house in Queen St.

George was a towering Hastings representative rugby forward at 6ft 4in (1.93m), and was said to be the tallest man in the Wellington Infantry division.

As it was Germany that declared war on Britain, there was naturally a strong anti-German feeling throughout most of New Zealand. George's father, Max, was a German-born national, and his wife Irish. But it was the German link which began to attract attention (although it was alleged by one complainant to the Government that his mother was "a disloyal Irish woman").

Less than a month after his enlistment, notice was brought to the attention of the Ministry of Defence of his German heritage by a man living in Clive. This man claimed to have been informed that George Bollinger had stated that on more than one occasion "He would have to fight for the British, but his sympathies are German". George was investigated in July 1915 by the police, while serving at Gallipoli. A detective from the Hastings Police reported that "as far as I can ascertain his character both inside and outside the bank was very good".

A diary was kept by George from when he departed New Zealand in October, 1914. He was initially keen to get amongst the action, expressing his desire to get to the Dardanelles, and recorded his landing on April 26, 1915, with the Wellington Infantrymen Regiment:

"Packs on" was roared out. Torpedo destroyers are alongside to take us ashore. 9.40am. On shore in the thick of it. The first casualty in our company was in my section. Just before dawn we were on the destroyers waiting for surf boats to take us ashore. Stray bullets were landing around us and suddenly Private Tohill who was standing just in front of me dropped with a bullet through his shoulder. Immediately after, Private Swayne was shot in the forehead. It was a relief to get ashore. The Australians were frightfully cut about effecting a landing yesterday. They say there are at least 6000 casualties. They did heroic work and the whole world will know of it."

This initial enthusiasm for battle gave way to the constant smell of death and flies. With newspapers being delivered to Gallipoli from home, he read in disgust of the initial glorifying of the campaign, and became disillusioned with Gallipoli's officer mismanagement and the needless slaughter of his fellow soldiers. While disenchanted, his loyalty to the British Empire never faltered.

George was wounded and had gastritis, and spent time in hospital at Lemnos and in Egypt, but returned to fight again both times.

When the force was evacuated in December 1915, he wrote: "We will not be terribly proud of our 'Gallipoli Bar'. Ours is not to reason why, but just to do and die. But who has blundered?" (This was a reference to Tennyson's 1854 poem - The Charge of the Light Brigade, where he bemoans the futility of that military action.)

A soldier writing home to Hastings mentioned George's promotion to sergeant of the 9th Hawke's Bay Company. George, he said, "was as big and ugly as ever, but does not look good, and has evidently been through a lot".

Major-General Godley, the commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, recommended a commission for George, meaning his return to New Zealand for officer training to train reinforcements. George arrived back in Hastings for a visit on March 23, 1916, after seeing his parents, who after suffering anti-German sentiment in New Plymouth had moved to Wellington. He received a hero's welcome when he got off the train, with the mayor greeting him and hundreds of others.

While those in Hastings were pleased to see him, the newly formed Women's Anti-German League, who wished to "root out the Hun hog", made him a target and wrote to the Prime Minister William Massey to question his promotion as he had German ancestry. Lieutenant Bollinger had a sister in Germany when the war broke out, they stated, and they alleged George's father Max was pro the German force " especially any action that which involved conquering France.

James Allen, the Minister of Defence, replied to the Women's Anti-German League that Lieutenant Bollinger had shown "exceptional gallantry and faithful conduct whilst in the face of the enemy". An MP also questioned George's loyalties, writing he was of the opinion that "we are dealing far too easily with people of German blood holding pro German views".

The army, however, faithfully stuck by him. George was hurt by the allegations of those who complained about him. Although he disagreed with how the war had been conducted at Gallipoli, his loyalty had been without question. Deciding to prove he wasn't pro-German, he enlisted to be sent to the Western Front war zone " although he was not obligated to do so " this time to fight against the German Army.

On June 8, 1917, George died fighting at the Battle of Messines.

A Hastings soldier, T Morgan, writing back home mentioned that George "got a nasty hit by shrapnel, which entered his side, piercing his lung. He died of his wounds the poor fellow, but played the game until the last".

The Hawke's Bay Tribune wrote of his death, and that "he was a fine stamp of a man of splendid physique and was a very popular young fellow".

His brother Herman was killed in March 1918 fighting in France. Both George and Herman lost eight cousins " all fighting for the German Army.

George Wallace Bollinger (1890"1917) is buried in Bailleul, at a military cemetery in France near the Belgium border. His life ended as a tragic consequence of being forced, he felt, to prove his loyalty to New Zealand, which ultimately led to his death. We remember George Bollinger, one who once walked around our Central Business District, played in our sports teams, and contributed to our community.

-Michael Fowler is a Hawke's Bay-based historian and Chartered Accountant. mfhistory@gmail.com