'I wood like to go and fite - I am 8'

TOUCHING: Keith Thorsen, Carterton, reads a World War I letter from an 8-year-old New Zealand boy to Major General Alexander Godley, the commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, asking the general if he could be allowed to serve in the army.

A plea from an 8-year-old boy to be allowed to fight for his country was among the touching items read out at this month's Wai Word, hosted at Carterton RSA on Sunday.

The event, titled From the Pens of Soldiers, included the letter from Master Teddy Reynolds, Taita, to Major-General Alexander Godley, the commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Keith Thorsen, of Carterton, who works for the National Library of New Zealand, read Teddy's letter, dated August 14, 1914, reproduced here.

Dear Governor, wold you let me come to the War. I am eight years old, I am in the first standard. I want to come to the War, my father is going to the War and I wood like to go and fite for our country.

Remarkably, General Godley replied.

My dear boy, I was very glad indeed to get your letter this morning and to see how much you wanted to go to the war with your father and me. But I am very much afraid that we are not taking anyone of your age just now. Later on, when you join the territorials, you may have your chance. I hope you will come down to the wharf when we go away, and see us all off.

Mr Thorsen said it was quite remarkable that the person in charge of the armed forces for New Zealand would take the time to write.

As it happened, the boy's father came home from World War I.

Teddy got his chance to fight in World War II, and lost his life.

Mr Thorsen said that, during World War I, most people felt they were part of the British Empire and serving was their duty.

"As the war went on, there were families that had lost husbands, sons, so there was strong feeling against 'shirkers'.

"Women, in particular, felt it quite strongly because they had lost sons."