Man of Iron

As commander of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant-Colonel William Malone captured and held the heights of Chunuk Bair in August 1915. Along with his men, he succeeded in holding off fierce Turkish counter-attacks for nearly two days before being killed by a shell from a British warship. The defence of Chunuk Bair has been described as one of New Zealand’s finest hours and it also made Malone one of New Zealand’s best-known First World War soldiers. William Malone was not only an outstanding military commander but also a successful farmer, lawyer and family man. His letters reveal a man unfulfilled by peacetime pursuits and war offered him a liberation of spirit and a new sense of purpose. Leaving for the front, he wrote, ‘I leave a lucrative practice, a happy home, a brave wife and children without any hesitation. I feel I am just beginning to live.’