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James Waddell
1872 – 1954
Lieutenant Colonel James Waddell.
Place of birth	Dunedin, New Zealand
Place of death	Levin, New Zealand
Allegiance	France New Zealand
Service/branch	French Foreign Legion
Years of service	1900–1926
Rank	Lieutenant Colonel
Unit	Régiment de Marche d'Afrique
Battles/wars	World War I
Awards	Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (France) Croix de guerre (France)

James Waddell was one of New Zealand’s most highly decorated soldiers of the First World War. Born in Dunedin he attended Canterbury College in the evening to prepare for, and win, the first New Zealand government military scholarship. In 1895 became the first New Zealander to pass the open examination for an officer's commission in the British Army.

He gained entry to the British Army in 1895 and was commissioned into 2nd Battalion (Duke of Wellington's) West Riding Regiment seeing service in Natal and India. Unfortunately he was heavily bullied by his upper class colleagues because of his colonial status. He subsequently met and married a French woman, and she helped Waddell earn the unusual honour of a commission in the French Foreign Legion on 25 April 1900. After early service in the Boxer Rebellion, Algeria and French Indo-China, Waddell landed at Gallipoli as a company commander in the Régiment de Marche d'Afrique in 1915. He soon distinguished himself by his courage and tenacity and was awarded the Chevalier of the Legion of Honour and the Croix de guerre on 4 July 1915 for bravery in leading his battalion in a costly attack against Turkish trenches on 21 June.

Waddell subsequently served on the Western Front and was promoted to Officier of the Legion of Honour on 10 June 1917 for his actions on the Somme where his personal example helped carry an attack on the village of Belloy-en-Santerre. It was during this battle that the American poet, Allan Seeger, died. Later, (Major) Waddell was in command of the 2nd Battalion of the Regiment de Marche de la Legion etrangere (R.M.L.E.) during the Champagne attack in April 1917.

By the end of the War, he had been awarded the Croix de guerre seven times and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. Described as ‘a courageous leader and one of the most respected of all the Legion's officers’, Waddell was promoted to the Commandeur of the Legion of Honour in 1920. He served in Tunisia until retiring in 1926, but remained in North Africa until returning to New Zealand in 1950. James Waddell died at Levin in 1954 and is buried in the RSA section of the Levin cemetery.

Note that the "headstone" is a memorial, while the bronze plaque marks the grave in the military service part of the cemetery. While the plaque indicates 5 bronze palms were awarded; the correct number is 7 (thus the Croix de guerre was won eight times at the highest level, that of citation at the army level).

He is mentioned prominently in the book "American Fighters in the Foreign Legion,1914-1918" Paul Ayresw Rockwell, Houghton Miffli Company, NY, 1930.

See also: http://perso.orange.fr/champagne1418/association/Associ/Bulletin_asmac_legion.htm

Headstone of Lieutenant Colonel James Waddell

[edit] List of honours

• Commandeur de la Légion d'honneur (France)
• Croix de Guerre (France)