Bill Patten, carpenter of Feilding, enlisted on 7th February 1915 with the NZ Engineers and embarked on the 16th /17th April with the 4th Reinforcements. His active service began on Gallipoli. The NZ Engineers No 2 Field Coy set out for the Dardanelles on 30th May 1915. Six weeks later Bill was admitted to Hospital with entero-colitis followed by debility, but was back on duty in time to take part in the action at Lone Pine in early August.

According to his service record Bill had another bout of illness, reporting sick on 12th August, which led to another period of hospital treatment and to his return to NZ in February 1916 and subsequent discharge.

But the story passed on to Bill’s son provides an alternative story of his service at Lone Pine Ridge. In the period leading up to the battle the engineers were working on an underground sap, when they heard Turks talking close by. The engineers blew their sap, and the Turks retaliated with shrapnel and high explosives. Bill received a wound in the forehead and a flesh wound on his chest. These wounds and the Turkish wooden spoon were his “war trophies”.