3 - Roll of Honour - Gallipoli - Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher

Sergeant Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher
Photo: The Weekly Press, 3/11/1915,
Christchurch Library

The second Otautau man to lose his life in Gallipoli was Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher. He was born in Caversham to Jane & William Grant-Ussher in 1889. Frederick's mother was the first to be born of European settlers in Naseby. Her father was originally from Northern Ireland. 

In 1910, Jane and William put the Edendale dairy herd up for sale and came south to Otautau.

By 1912 they were dairy farming at Merrivale, and their second son, Frederick, worked on the farm.

One of the first to enlist in 1914, Frederick served with the Otago Mounted Rifles, service number 9/822. He achieved the rank of Sergeant but this was short-lived. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, 5 Jul 1915, aged 26.

“He was a very keen footballer, having founded the Menzies Ferry Club, for which he played before coming to Otautau, when he joined the Otautau club, and last season played for Orawia, of which club he was secretary. He was a very popular young fellow all round the district. Several relations of deceased are in the fighting line in France and elsewhere, and he was a distant relative of the late Lord Roberts, so that he had fighting blood in his veins.” —The Otautau Standard, 10 Aug 1915

The following year, his younger brother, George, left with the 25th Reinforcements and served until the end of the war. He was discharged in 1919.

The Grant-Usshers were members of the St Andrews Anglican Church, Otautau.