Richard Charles Travis VC DCM MM

b. 06/04/1884 Opotiki, New Zealand. d. 25/07/1918 Rossignol Wood, France.

Richard Charles Travis (1884-1918) was born Dickson Cornelius Savage on 6th April 1884 at Otara, Opotiki, Southland, New Zealand. His father was James Whitford Savage, originally from Island Magee, County Antrim, Ireland, who migrated to New Zealand in 1858, and settled as a farmer at Melrose Farm, Otara. He also served in the New Zealand Armed Constabulary. He married Frances “Fanny” Theresa O’Keefe in 1875 in Opotiki. Richard had eight siblings.

Richard C Travis
VC DCM MM

Savage attended the Opotiki School until 1899 and then Otara School, leaving in September 1901 to work on the family farm. He became a capable shepherd, drover and farmhand, and excelled at horse-breaking, which appealed to the fearless, independent and quick-witted youth. After quarrelling with his father he went to the Gisborne district in 1905, where he found work as a farmhand and driver. His reputation as a horse-breaker grew. After further strife in Gisborne, ‘where he is thought to have got a young woman into trouble’, Savage travelled south, broke off all communication with his family, and changed his name to Richard Charles Travis.

He arrived in Winton, Southland, in 1910, claiming to come from Poverty Bay and even the United States. After working on Southland farms and threshing mills, ‘Dick’ Travis found employment as a general farmhand with Tom Murray of Ryal Bush. He continued to break horses, and joined an Oddfellows lodge.

On 20th August 1914 Travis enlisted with the 7th (Southland) Squadron of the Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment in Invercargill. When attested he was five feet six inches tall, weighed 133 pounds, had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. His stated next of kin was his fiancée, Lettie Murray, Tom Murray’s daughter.

Travis sailed with the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, arriving in Egypt in December 1914. Impatient to see action, he unofficially accompanied his regiment to Gallipoli in May 1915. He was returned to Egypt and received 14 days’ detention. However, he participated in the final weeks of the Gallipoli campaign, moving with impunity between the New Zealand and Turkish trenches on scouting patrols.

A knee injury led Travis to transfer to the 8th (Southland) Company, 2nd Battalion, Otago Infantry Regiment, on 27th March 1916. He arrived in France in April 1916 and began nocturnal scouting activities in no man’s land between the New Zealand and German trenches, mapping the German defences for the first New Zealand trench raids. In July 1916 he received special mention in brigade routine orders for a daylight search for wounded New Zealand raiders and the recovery of equipment, and for night-patrol duty over a six-week period.

Travis displayed ‘conspicuous gallantry’ on 15th September 1916, eliminating several German snipers during the 2nd Otago Battalion’s advance in the Somme offensive, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal. He was rapidly promoted to sergeant and given command of the battalion’s new sniper and observation section. ‘Travis’s Gang’ became proficient in scouting enemy defences and capturing enemy troops for interrogation. His casual attitude towards rank and dress regulations contrasted with the careful planning, daring and resourcefulness of his anti-sniper work and lone patrols. It was said that, ‘His judgement of what the enemy would do under given circumstances sometimes seemed more than human.’ Travis was awarded the Belgian Croix de guerre on 15th February 1918, and the Military Medal in May 1918.

On 24th July 1918 the 2nd Otago Battalion attacked the German salient at Rossignol Wood north of Hébuterne. In daylight Travis destroyed an impassable wire block in front of the enemy lines prior to the attack. He then captured two enemy machine-guns, shooting down 11 Germans. The very next day, he accompanied Second Lieutenant Charles Kerse on an inspection of the trenches during an enemy bombardment. They encouraged the men and between 8 and 9am sat down for a rest on a fire step in a bay close to Hawk Trench. A shell landed nearby, killing both men. On the evening of 26th July 1918, they were buried side by side in what is now Couin New British Cemetery. A large body of men attended, including the brigade commander.

The entire New Zealand Division mourned the loss of the ‘King of No Man’s Land’. For his ‘most conspicuous bravery and devotion to duty’ on 24th July, Travis was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross on 27th September 1918. The VC, DCM and MM were sent to the Governor General of New Zealand, Lord Liverpool, on 21st November 1918 to be presented to his next of kin. Under the Royal Warrant of 11th May 1917 the VC would have been sent to the VC’s mother as next of kin regardless of any testamentary disposition. However, this was cancelled by the Royal Warrant of 30th May 1918 and thereafter his medals were disposed of in accordance with any will left by the deceased. It was not until December 1919 that Travis’ real name was established and his mother lived in Opotiki. His brother Charles, was informed of the alias and that he had been killed, and responded saying he did not want his mother to know that. Eventually, the medals were sent by post to his fiancee, Miss Murray on 28th February 1921. This was to avoid a public presentation, which would have probably become known to his mother.

In addition to the VC, DCM, MM he was also awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal 1914-20, Victory Medal 1914-19 and Belgian Croix de Guerre. When Lettie Murray died, the medals passed to her husband, John Wilson, who presented them to the Southland Museum & Art Gallery, Invercargill, New Zealand in September 1972.

LOCATION OF MEDAL: SOUTHLAND MUSEUM, INVERCARGILL, OTAGO, NEW ZEALAND.

BURIAL PLACE: COUIN NEW BRITISH CEMETERY, COUIN, FRANCE.

ROW G, GRAVE 5