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George Hamilton Haslett was born 18 December 1892 (Birth Certificate Number 1892/560). He was the eight child of Sarah Ann and William Haslett.

At the age of 22 George in-lists with the NZEF

• 5 feet 7 inches
• Blue eyes
• Light brown hair
• Complexion – Medium

From George’s WW1 records we have the following information;

• Occupation as a Carpenter.
• His parents living at Taylors Road, Kingsland in Auckland – the address he gives for himself also.
• He was with the 16th Reinforcements and embarked on the 19 August 1816 from Wellington.
• Was with the NZ Machine gun Corps.
• He made the rank of Lance Corporal (25.10.1916) then Sargent (13.8.1917)
• Serial number 21262
• Served 2 years and 285 days over seas and 137 in New Zealand (Final discharge 27.6.1919)
• Served in Western Europe

In 1925 George marries Beatrice Winifred Ironside (Marriage Certificate 1925/8246) at ___________.

From about 1920, George starts working as a taxi driver.

From the New Zealand Herald dated 17 February 1931 we have an incident where George is robbed, we read;

MIDNIGHT ASSAULT. ATTACK ON TAXI-DRIVER. OFFENCES BY THREE YOUTHS. I ALL COMMITTED FOR SENTENCE.

A sequel to an incident at Point Chevalier on January 24, when a taxi-driver was assaulted, was the appearance of three youths in the Police Court yesterday.’ The accused, Robert Rickit, aged 21, Herbert Williams, aged 19, and Maurice Edward Wiston, aged 18, were charged with assaulting George Hamilton Haslett with intent to rob him at Point Chevalier, and also with breaking and entering the residence of Sidney Taylor, Wellington Street, on January 25, and stealing 10s. A further charge of breaking and entering the house of William Edward Wheeler at Pokeno on January 27 and stealing 3s was preferred against Williams and Wiston.

George Hamilton Haslett, taxi-driver, said on the night of January 24 he drove three men, all of whom were in the back seat, from the Victoria Street taxi-stand to the cabaret at Point Chevalier. He was then told to drive to another street. Upon arriving there, about midnight, he was struck on the back of the head and felt his pockets being searched. One man seized him by the throat, while another damaged his eye. He did not know how many times he was struck. The men ran away.

Sidney Taylor, of 14, Wellington Street, said that on the night of January 25 he was awakened by a blow on the knee and saw a man with a handkerchief round his mouth at the foot of the bed. He got up and the man ran away.

Detective-Sergeant Thompson, of Hamilton, who arrested Williams and Wiston at Hamilton, on February 1, read a signed statement by the two accused, in which they admitted the two offences. Accused had stated they hired the taxi with the intention of robbing the driver. Accused had said they and Rickit had decided to break into a house while returning to the city. One of them had opened a side window in the house in Wellington Street and stolen some food. While they were looking for money in the bedroom the occupier woke up and they ran away.

Detective Charles Packman’ Said he arrested Rickit at Otahuhu on February 1. A signed statement by Rickit stated he had come from North Auckland in search of work. He had met Williams and later Wiston. The other two proposed robbing a taxi-driver and induced accused to join them. They had fought with the driver for two minutes, but obtained no money. They then walked into town and decided to get food from the house in Wellington Street. The other two, who had picked up sticks, entered first and passed out food. Accused then entered and put a towel around his mouth. Williams was standing over the man with a stick and Wiston over the woman.

Detective Sergeant Thompson also read a statement by Williams and Wiston, in which they admitted the theft at Pokeno. The three accused pleaded guilty to both charges. Williams and Wiston also admitted the theft charge at Pokeno. The accused were committed to, the Supreme Court for sentence.

A summary charge of assaulting Taylor by striking him with a whip handle was preferred against the three accused. They were remanded until February 25.

Another article from the New Zealand Herald on 6 May 1931 reads:

TAXI-DRIVER FINED. ARRESTED AFTER ACCIDENT DENIAL OF INTOXICATION

A fine of £l0 was imposed in the Police Court yesterday on a taxi-driver who was convicted on a charge of being intoxicated when in charge of a motor-car in Queen Street early on Sunday morning. Accused, George Hamilton Haslett, aged 39, who denied the offence, was arrested after a collision in Upper Queen Street.

Two other taxi-drivers, Herbert Arthur Richards and William Charles Hall, stated that their two cabs were standing alongside each other outside a restaurant in Upper Queen Street, at 3.30 a.m. on Sunday, when accused’s cab struck the rear of the outer one, pushing it 30ft. down the street and causing damage to the rear of the car. “Accused’s condition was consistent with being in an advanced state of intoxication,” said Constable Agnew, who stated that he had witnessed the accident and had spoken accused immediately afterward.

Constable Wilson produced an empty cocktail bottle and a small bottle containing a quantity of whisky, which, he said, he found in accused’s car.

“The defense is a denial of intoxication,” said Mr. Singer. He asserted that accused was a man of excellent character and had been driving cars and taxicabs for 11 years. He had never been in trouble previously. The bottles in the car were not his. In March accused had been violently attacked by three men and injured about the head at Point Chevalier, and the blow he had received in the accident had affected him.

Haslett stated that at. 5 p.m. on Saturday he had driven a man named Taylor and a party of other men whom he knew to a house at Mangere. He, detailed his movements during the evening, and stated that he had called at the house at Mangere again at 2.30 a.m. During the whole time the only liquor he had taken was a drink of parsnip wine. When he was arrested he was stunned by the collision.

The occupant of the house at Mangere. Joseph H Phillips, stated that when accused had left his home at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday he was perfectly sober. He had twice refused liquor. Mrs. Phillips gave similar evidence, and James H Taylor stated ‘that the bottle of ale, the glass and the cocktail bottle found in the cap were his.

“The weight of evidence is against accused,’ said the magistrate, Mr. F. K. Hunt, who added that as the accident had happened in the early morning and accused was a married man depending on his car for his livelihood, a fine of £l0 and cancellation of his license for three months would be sufficient punishment.

 

In 1952-53 George and Beatrice Divorce

George passes away 17 January 1973 in Auckland (Death Certificate number 1973/40261) aged 80.