“DEATH OF A RETURNED SOLDIER.
Accorded a Military funeral
On Saturday morning last the sad news was made known that another of our young men, who have responded to the call of national duty, had died overnight as the result of his military service, namely, Private George Reeve Bettelheim, late of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Deceased was the eldest son of Mr J.J. Bettelheim, one of our eldest settlers and a well-known horticulturist. The late Private Bettelheim was 29 years of age and was born in Tauranga. He commenced his acquaintance with military life in the ranks of the Tauranga Mounted Rifles, which subsequently became incorporated in the 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles Regiment, and he rose therein to the rank of Sergeant. He voluntarily took his discharge some five years ago, but at once rejoined on the outbreak of war and left for Egypt with the Main Body, in October, 1914. When the call came, in Egypt, for volunteers from the Mounteds to serve as infantry a Gallipoli, deceased offered himself for the Machine Gun Corps and being accepted became one of the immortal Anzacs. After five months of strenuous fighting on Gallipoli he was laid low by dysentery and invalided to Malta, and after a lengthy sojourn in hospital there, was returned to his native land, lung trouble having supervened upon his enfeebled constitution. Treatment at the Waikato Sanitarium benefited him for a time, but despite all that could be done, he gradually lost his bold on life and finally, bravely resigned, passed away on Friday night last.
As was only natural and proper it was at once arranged that a military funeral should be accorded, considerable as are the difficulties of carrying out such a ceremony adequately in a small centre like Tauranga, and a deeply impressive ceremony resulted yesterday afternoon. The Firing Party was provided by the 38th Company Senior Cadets, under Sergeant Meikle, 6th Hauraki, attached. Bearers were found from among other returned soldiers, invalided home through wounds or sickness, Sergeant-Major Brassey taking charge of the squad of eight who donned their uniforms and paraded to do honour to deceased. The Town Band, under Bandmaster Peebles, also attended and played appropriate music, both on the march and at the graveside. The deceased's old regiment was represented among the mourners by its former Commander, Colonel Ward; Major Mirrielees 6th (Hauraki) Regt., and Lieutenant Roche, 38th Company Senior Cadets, were also present in uniform. Several veterans of farmer wars also attended together, wearing their medals, and thus paid their tribute to one who, by virtue of his deeds though half a century junior to some of them, had nevertheless been received into their ranks as a comrade.
Despite the fact that rain was falling heavily during almost the whole afternoon, there was a large attendance of mourners from town and country, thus showing the universal esteem felt for the deceased and sympathy with his parents and family. The service was impressively conducted by the Ven. Archdeacon Tuke, and the "Last Post" sounded by Cadet Bugler J. Sorrensen brought to a solemn conclusion the first burial of a soldier returned from the great war overseas, to find his grave in his birth place, Tauranga.” [Bay of Plenty Times, Volume XLVI, Issue 7006, 29 April 1918, Page 3]