Randolph Gordon Ridling, (17 March 1888 – 13 January 1975) was a New Zealand soldier who served during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

on the

Western Front Western Front or West Front may refer to: Military frontiers *Western Front (World War I), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (World War II), a military frontier to the west of Germany *Western Front (Russian Empire), a majo ...

with the

New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...

. He was awarded the Albert Medal in 1919 for saving the life of a soldier during a grenade training exercise the previous year. After the war, he studied at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

and subsequently worked in the education sector in New Zealand. In 1971, the Albert Medal was disestablished by

royal warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

as a gallantry award and living recipients were required to swap their medals for the

George Cross The George Cross (GC) is the highest award bestowed by the British government for non-operational gallantry or gallantry not in the presence of an enemy. In the British honours system, the George Cross, since its introduction in 1940, has been ...

. Ridling, for sentimental reasons, sought an exemption from

Queen Elizabeth II Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 1926 – 8 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. She was queen ...

to retain his medal, which was granted. He died in 1975, aged 86.

Early life

Randolph Gordon Ridling was born on 17 March 1888 in

Auckland Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The List of New Zealand urban areas by population, most populous urban area in the country and the List of cities in Oceania by po ...

, New Zealand, to Andrew Ridling and his wife Ellen . Educated at

Auckland Grammar School Auckland (pronounced ) ( mi, Tāmaki Makaurau) is a large metropolitan city in the North Island of New Zealand. The most populous urban area in the country and the fifth largest city in Oceania, Auckland has an urban population of about I ...

, he went on to Auckland University College for a year of tertiary study before he became a teacher. In May 1915 he married Henrietta née Cormack at St Stephen's Church in Ponsonby. However, his wife soon became ill and died three months after their wedding.

First World War

On 14 December 1915, Ridling enlisted in the

(NZEF) for service in the

. Within days he was promoted to corporal and by late February 1916 had received a further promotion to sergeant major. He was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

in May and was sent to the 18th Reinforcements, a draft of personnel destined for service on the

in France. Departing New Zealand in October, he was at the NZEF base in England by the end of the year and was posted to the

New Zealand Rifle Brigade The New Zealand Rifle Brigade (Earl of Liverpool's Own), affectionately known as The Dinks, was formed on 1 May 1915 as the third brigade of the New Zealand Division, part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. During the First World War it fough ...

(NZRB). Ridling arrived on the Western Front on 17 February 1917 as a

platoon A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two or more squads, sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the branch, but a platoon can be composed of 50 people, although specific platoons may range ...

commander in the 4th Battalion of the NZRB. His period in command was brief, for on 23 February he was wounded. He was medically evacuated to England for treatment, initially in London and then at the New Zealand General Hospital in Brockenhurst. Discharged in June he underwent a convalescence period in

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

before proceeding to the NZRB troop depot at Sling Camp in Bulford. However, he was still troubled by his wounds and required further hospital treatment. By early 1918, Ridling had returned to duty, being posted to Brocton Camp as an instructor. Promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

in March, he was tasked with teaching bombing techniques to reinforcement troops destined for service on the Western Front. On 19 April, he was instructing in the use of the Mills bomb. A number of men had already successfully thrown live bombs from a bombing bay. Then a nervous trainee fumbled a bomb after removing the pin and, panicking, dived into a corner of the bay. Ridling, also in the bay, grabbed the man and pulled him to shelter. He got the man clear but was injured when the grenade exploded. His wound was to his groin and he required hospital treatment. He was back at Brocton Camp by 8 May and was soon made assistant

adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of human resources in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed forces as a non-commission ...

to the 5th Reserve Battalion of the NZRB.

Postwar period

As the NZEF demobilised after the end of the war, Ridling, promoted to temporary

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 10 March 1919, was appointed an education officer. In this role he lectured troops in the NZEF Education Scheme. In late March, his name was published as being brought to the attention of the Secretary of State for services in connection with the war. He himself was discharged from the NZEF in September, having reverted to his substantive rank of lieutenant. For his actions of 19 April 1918, the commander of NZEF forces in England,

Brigadier General Brigadier general or Brigade general is a military rank used in many countries. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries. The rank is usually above a colonel, and below a major general or divisional general. When appointed ...

George Richardson, had recommended Ridling for the Albert Medal for Lifesaving (AM). The AM, named for

Prince Albert Prince Albert most commonly refers to: *Albert, Prince Consort (1819–1861), consort of Queen Victoria *Albert II, Prince of Monaco (born 1958), present head of state of Monaco Prince Albert may also refer to: Royalty * Albert I of Belgium ...

, had been established in 1866 by

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in 1901. Her reign of 63 years and 21 ...

to recognise gallantry in saving life at sea. In subsequent years, the requirement that the act of gallantry be performed at sea was dispensed with so that deeds performed on land could also be recognised with the AM. Ridling's award was announced in ''

The London Gazette ''The London Gazette'' is one of the official journals of record or government gazettes of the Government of the United Kingdom, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are ...

'' on 9 December 1919. The citation read: At the time of the announcement, Ridling was studying at

Queens' College, Cambridge Queens' College is a constituent college of the University of Cambridge. Queens' is one of the oldest colleges of the university, founded in 1448 by Margaret of Anjou. The college spans the River Cam, colloquially referred to as the "light s ...

; he had been awarded a scholarship available for soldiers of the NZEF. He graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

in 1921 but continued to study, gaining a Diploma of Agriculture the following year. During this time, he met Patricia née Shaw and the couple were married in London. They had a daughter.

Later life

Returning to New Zealand in 1923, Ridling worked for the

Taranaki Taranaki is a region in the west of New Zealand's North Island. It is named after its main geographical feature, the stratovolcano of Mount Taranaki, also known as Mount Egmont. The main centre is the city of New Plymouth. The New Plymouth Dist ...

Education Board. Seven years later, he became an inspector, monitoring the

Education Department An education ministry is a national or subnational government agency politically responsible for education. Various other names are commonly used to identify such agencies, such as Ministry of Education, Department of Education, and Ministry of Pub ...

's various manual and technical schools. By this time he had earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

degree from the University of Cambridge, ''in absentia''. In July 1931, he was appointed principal of the

Wellington Technical College , seal_image = , motto = Excellence in Learning , type = State secondary , established = 1886 , streetaddress = 249 Taranaki Street , city = Wellington , postcode = 6011 , country = New Zealand , ...

. He went on to write a number of papers relating to education in the technical and agricultural fields. He was also an advocate for education by correspondence. In 1948, Ridling was a member of a committee formed to report to the

New Zealand government , background_color = #012169 , image = New Zealand Government wordmark.svg , image_size=250px , date_established = , country = New Zealand , leader_title = Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern , appointed = Governor-General , main_organ = , ...

on the recruitment, education and training of teachers, which completed its work in 1951. During this time he led the New Zealand delegation to the General Conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Retiring in September 1950, in his later years he lived in

Raglan Raglan may refer to: People *FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan (1788–1855), British Army officer, commander of British troops during the Crimean War *Raglan (surname) *Raglan Squire (1912–2004), British architect Places Australia *Count ...

, on the west coast of the

North Island The North Island, also officially named Te Ika-a-Māui, is one of the two main islands of New Zealand, separated from the larger but much less populous South Island by the Cook Strait. The island's area is , making it the world's 14th-largest ...

of New Zealand. The AM was disestablished by

Royal Warrant A royal warrant is a document issued by a monarch which confers rights or privileges on the recipient, or has the effect of law. Royal warrant may refer to: * Royal warrant of appointment, warrant to tradespeople who supply goods or services to a r ...

as a gallantry award in 1971. Public recognition of the award had declined in recent years and it was deemed that this deprived AM recipients of the recognition that their deeds had earned. Living recipients were required to exchange them for the

(GC), which had existed since 1940 and was superior in status to the AM. As well as swapping their AM for the GC, the recipients would be entitled to use the GC postnominal. However, Ridling sought an exemption from

, citing his high sentimental attachment to the award. His request was granted and he was allowed to retain his AM while still being entitled to be treated as a holder of the GC. In subsequent years he attended reunions of the

Victoria Cross and George Cross Association The Victoria Cross and George Cross Association is made up of holders of the Victoria Cross (VC), Britain's highest military award for bravery in the field, and the George Cross (GC), the equivalent award for civilians and military personnel who ...

. He died on 13 January 1975 in

Wellington Wellington ( mi, Te Whanganui-a-Tara or ) is the capital city of New Zealand. It is located at the south-western tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Remutaka Range. Wellington is the second-largest city in New Zealand by me ...

, his wife having predeceased him by several years. His remains were cremated and interred at

Karori Cemetery Karori Cemetery is New Zealand's second largest cemetery, located in the Wellington suburb of Karori. History Karori Cemetery opened in 1891 to address overcrowding at Bolton Street Cemetery. In 1909, it received New Zealand's first cremato ...

Medal

In 1982, Ridling's daughter donated his medals, which in addition to the AM, included the

British War Medal The British War Medal is a campaign medal of the United Kingdom which was awarded to officers and men of British and Imperial forces for service in the First World War. Two versions of the medal were produced. About 6.5 million were struck in si ...

, the Victory Medal, the 1935 Jubilee Medal and the 1937 Coronation Medal, to the National Army Museum in Waiouru, where they are displayed in its Medal Repository.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Ridling, Randolph 1888 births 1975 deaths Alumni of Queens' College, Cambridge Burials at Karori Cemetery New Zealand educators New Zealand Military Forces personnel of World War I People educated at Auckland Grammar School People from Auckland Recipients of the Albert Medal (lifesaving)