Mystery of the 102-year-old cigarette case

NZ Herald

25 Nov, 2015 04:00 PM5 mins to read

R F Simson's Cigarette case. Photo / supplied.

For a while it seemed a humble cigarette case might unveil more details of a little-known riot involving New Zealand troops in World War 1.

The case was won by an R.F. Simson in a billiards tournament in Christchurch's Federal Hotel in 1913; it was purchased off TradeMe recently by the Public Trust as part of a campaign to reunite several items with rightful owners to demonstrate how belongings of little financial worth but high historical or sentimental value can be lost to families.

But it seemed the little silver case might also shed some light on a little-known episode of New Zealand history - the revolt at Sling Camp, in Salisbury, England, in 1919 as Kiwi soldiers waited to be repatriated, including one Reginald Fowler Simson. Delays finding ships to carry home over 4000 men at the camp - a bleak, wind-blown training base where New Zealand soldiers were toughened up before being transported to the fields of France - led to frustrations.

Officers decided to maintain control by imposing route marches and generally behaving as if still on a war footing. The troops asked for a relaxation of discipline.

When that was denied, they rioted. The troops first attacked a quartermaster's store, looting it, according to a report in the Ohinemuri Gazette in 1919. An officers' mess was also attacked, with officers having to defend themselves with staves.

The mess was wrecked and looted and furniture smashed, following which another officers' mess was also attacked. The Gazette's report maintained that £10,000 of damage was done, including destruction of belongings of men on duty at the quartermasters' stores.

They may well have included Reginald Simson, at one stage thought to be the owner of the case. Records show he was only 16 when he enlisted, suggesting he may have lied he was 20. He served as a steward - and would likely have worked in the officers' mess.

That and the unusual spelling of 'Simson' caused some excitement among searchers looking for the family to re-unite them with the case. Details of the riot are sketchy and it was thought Simson might have shared the story with family. He may also have talked of the subsequent New Zealand contingent which subsequently carved the massive Kiwi in the chalk hills overlooking the village of Bulford near the camp.

While the ringleaders of the riot were jailed and then shipped off to New Zealand, officers decided to forestall any further unrest by assigning troops to carve the Kiwi into the hill - 130m high and covering 1.5 acres. Known as the Bulford Kiwi, it is still in existence today, maintained by the British Army as a mark of gratitude for New Zealand involvement in World War 1.

However, as with many detective stories, the trail ran cold. There was one question no one could answer: what was a 14-year-old doing winning a billiards tournament, even in a temperance pub?

Then a new clue - a man by the name of Roy Forbes Simson may be the original owner. A family member thinks he has recognised the case and Public Trust are checking it out as little is known about Roy Forbes Simson - though it appears he was indeed a billiards specialist.

If the cigarette case can be "repatriated" to Simson's family, it will have completed a 102-year-round trip - and there may be further mystery to be revealed.

Matt Sale, general manager, retail customers for Public Trust, said the cigarette case was part of the campaign to find rightful owners for a handful of items of sentimental and possibly historical value. Others included an old camera, a suitcase, a toy car, war medals, a collection of old Super 8 films, a pair of vintage boxing gloves, a tape measure, a nurse's badge, an engraved silver tray and certificates of achievement belonging to a Nelson woman.

"They can have huge sentimental value to a family or loved ones but may not have much in the way of dollar value - the richness lies in how people are committed to these items. But they can be lost if people don't look after them when making their wills; sometimes the big ticket items are taken care of but things like this can be lost."

TradeMe spokesman Jeff Hunkin said 52 per cent of all items sold on TradeMe were secondhand and worth about $480 million annually as of June 30 this year.

"We can't pinpoint exactly which listings are only for items of sentimental value only as we don't have a filter for those - but the Antiques & Collectables category, over the last three months, has made up about five per cent of all listings for general items, behind only Home & Living, Clothing & Fashion and Sports."