Page 177 - They Also Served

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James ‘Rusty’ Page 1928.
James Russell Page was born in Dunedin, New Zealand, on 10th May 1908. Educated at Southland Boys’ High School, he was head prefect and captain of the first XV rugby team. Awarded a military scholarship as an honorary dominion cadet, he trained at Sandhurst from 1927 to 1928 and represented London Scottish as well as being on the bench for Scotland during an international. Page also met his future wife in the UK.
Commissioned into the New Zealand Staff Corps, he returned to his native country and played for Wellington, being called into the All Blacks side against Australia in 1931. As a late replacement, he travelled on an overnight train and played within an hour of his arrival. Page, universally known as Rusty, was tiny by modern rugby standards at five-foot-seven inches and 156 pounds but played three more tests against Australia the following year, scoring a try in the second, and played a further two in 1934, the first of which was as captain, standing in for the injured Frank Kilby. Selected to tour Great Britain in 1935, he injured his knee in the second warm-up match, against Midland Counties, and this effectively ended his playing career. His vice-captain at the time said: ‘He was sadly missed as no other fly half in the side was so quick off the mark and his equal at finding openings’.
Shortly after the outbreak of the Second World War, Page was selected to command the newly raised 26th Battalion, New Zealand Infantry, part of the 6th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd New Zealand Division. The division was sent to Greece to stem the German invasion in 1941 but, during a disastrously managed campaign, the battalion acted as rearguard for the beachhead before being the last to be evacuated, having suffered 76 casualties. After refitting, the division took part in Operation Crusader, the plan to relieve the siege of Tobruk. Although the Kiwis captured their objectives, this was an isolated success in a disastrous battle that cost the Allies 560 tanks. Page was wounded in the action and later awarded the DSO, with the citation stating: ‘He was at the forefront of the attack and was very severely wounded. His magnificent courage and leadership were the outstanding factors which contributed to the great success that was achieved...he was everywhere on the battlefield...his utter disregard of danger,
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