James Neil McCarroll and Thomas McCarroll were brothers. There were 6 brothers as well as parents that emigrated from Ireland Thomas worked and died in Thames Thomas was Lieutenant and later Captain of the Mounted Machine Gun Squadron. James who was O/C Auckland Mounted Rifles . James was earlier a Captain of the North Auckland Mounted Rifles on his enlistment. Both men were Freemasons both men were present at the only meeting of Freemasons held in the Shrine of the Dome of the Rock 6th April 1918 in Jerusalem and were members of the NZEF Masonic Association in Egypt and Palestine.