Sari Bair bell

Sari Bair bell

• Height  864 mm
• Width  1067 mm
• Weight  732 kg
• Note  G

Prominent Wellington dentist Herbert Pearson Rawson and his wife, Agnes, had one son and two daughters, Elsie and Alice. Prior to the start of the war, Elsie was married to Mathew Holmes and Alice to Francis (Frank) Davison. While their husbands were away fighting in the First World War Elsie and Alice and their four small children lived with Herbert and Agnes in Seatoun, Wellington.

Mathew Holmes

Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, Mathew Holmes attended Dunedin High School and Otago University, and then studied medicine at Edinburgh University. He worked as the resident surgeon at the Chalmers Hospital for Children in Edinburgh, and then commenced practice in Wellington. He was well known for his treatment of children.

He and Elise married in 1909 and had two girls. Mathew volunteered to join the Medical Corps within a week of New Zealand’s declaration of war, and served with New Zealand troops tasked with the capture of Samoa in August 1914. He returned to New Zealand and then travelled to Egypt as the chief medical officer of the 3rd Reinforcements.

He was in charge of the Pont de Koubbeh Hopsital in Cairo, which treated many Gallipoli casualties, then served in Gallipoli during the August offensive. He recalled arriving there in advance of his casualty clearing station and, with the assistance of only one other man, having to treat 300 cases in 48 hours as wounded soldiers arrived from the battle. His letter about this experience was published in the newspaper: ‘it was one of the most awful sights that can be imagined. The small shed in which I was dressing [the wounded] half the time with one candle was not the least safe, and several wounded were killed in and just beside it – a real inferno. It is really beyond words, and as yet I can’t think of it’. He also praised the New Zealand and Australian troops: ‘Such fighters have never been seen, truly they are the best in the British Army, and perhaps in the world. They don’t know fear and I am not boasting one bit … A good half deserve the VC … I am truly proud to be a New Zealander.’

Mathew Holmes was later commander of the No. 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance in France. He became ill and in October 1917 was deemed unfit for service and sent back to New Zealand. He became the Assistant Director of Medical Services for the military forces in Wellington in May 1918. He applied to serve again in Egypt, but as there wasn’t a position available, he instead re-established his medical practice in Wellington in July. Having survived the war, he died just a few days after it ended, in the terrible influenza epidemic which hit Wellington in November 1918, aged 39. He is buried at the Karori Cemetery, Wellington, where a sundial was placed in his honour.

Francis (Frank) Davison

Alice’s husband, Frank Davison, was born in 1889 to John Hawdon and Margaret Davison, who owned the St Leonard’s high-country sheep station in Culverden, Canterbury. Before the First World War Frank took over part of the land his father had farmed for many years and also served with the New Zealand Territorials. He married Alice in January 1913. He enlisted only a week after war was declared, and departed New Zealand with the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force two months later. He and Alice then had one young son, and another was born after Frank had left the country.

Frank was the commander of the machine-gun section of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles during the invasion of Gallipoli, which began in April 1915. On 26 May 1915 he wrote home, asking his wife to publish his comments in the newspaper for the information of the families of other men serving there. ‘All our gun section men are fit and well to date of this letter, and showed great coolness in their first action … we get splendid rations here, and plenty of them’. He also detailed an encounter with snipers while bathing: ‘Our bathing was rather spoilt the last few days by stray snipers’ bullets, which is rather a nuisance, as instead of being able to have a decent swim, one has to get in and out pretty quickly and practically be satisfied with one dip.’

Frank was killed in action on 7 August 1915 during a night attack at Bauchop’s Hill. He was 26, and is buried at the Embarkation Pier Cemetery, Gallipoli. When he died, one of his sons was two and the other was only two months old. Alice remained in Wellington with her father and sons for many years, but ensured the sheep station was well looked after, and eventually returned there in the late 1920s. Descendants of the Davison family still farm in the area.

Gifting the bell

In 1928 Herbert Rawson paid for a bell in the Carillon to commemorate his two sons-in-law. The bell is named Sari Bair, after the major offensive launched by the Allies in August 1915 in an attempt to break the deadlock at Gallipoli. This would have been considered appropriate since both men had served at Gallipoli, as had the Rawson’s own son, also Herbert, who served as a doctor with the Royal Medical Corps. 

Further information:

Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph record – Mathew Holmes
Commonwealth War Graves Commission record – Mathew Holmes
Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph record – Francis Davison
Commonwealth War Graves Commission record – Francis Davison