David was a first cousin of my great great grandmother, Margaret HART.
He was the tenth child and sixth son of Euphemia Margaret MASON (1859-1942) and Thomas AHKING. Thomas was born in Canton, China in 1843. He died at Maryborough in 1900. Euphemia is recorded as marrying Richard POPE in 1900. At the time of her mother's remarriage, the youngest child Rachel AHKING was a ward of the state. It is said that Richard Pope didn't want a Chinese child in his house.
The older surviving children may have already left home and sadly David and his brother Edmund James were both killed in the war.
On his attestation paper of December 4, 1914, David named his older brother Arthur as next of kin.
Arthur's address was recorded as Kellerberin, Doodlakine, Western Australia.
David enlisted at Culcairn, New South Wales on the 28th of November 1914 and was recorded as 22 years old, 5 foot 11 inches tall in one record and 5 foot 9 inches in another. He weighed 160 lbs with a fair complexion, grey eyes, and light brown hair.
A timeline of David's war service from the National Archives.
20 Feb 1915 embarked at Sydney per HMAT A21 Marere
18 July 1915 Sick with influenza
23 July 1915 Admitted to 1st A.C.C.S
27 July 1915 Admitted to NZ Hospital Port Said.
3 August 1915 Admitted to 1st A. StynHpl Mudros
13 August 1915 Admitted to 24th CCS Mudros
20 August 1915 Insubordination at Mudros. 72 hours detention
24 August 1915 Rejoined regiment ex-hospital.
3 October 1915 Pyrexia - adm 1st Aust Cas clearing stn to hosp
5 October 1915 admitted to 21st G Hpl Alexandria. Enteric.
12 October 1915. Reported sick to HPL
10 November 1915 Adm to enteric conv camp Port Said.
13 December 1915 Invalided to Aust for 3 months. change ex Suez.
13 December 1915 Sailed from Suez on Wandilla Arr Melb 1/4/1/16 (sic) enteric fever
4 April 1916 return to duty 2nd M.D
10 July 1916 Trans to Camel Corps ex 2nd L.H.T. Rgt
15 July 1916 Taken on strength No 11 Coy 1 Camel Corps.
25 July 1916 App T/Lance Cpl.
11 November 1916 Trans from 6th L.H. & T.O.S of 3rd Anzac Bn 1CB de (states T/L.Cpl)
13 December 1916 sick to Hpl. ex 1. C.C No 12 Coy
15 December 1916 Adm to 24th Styn Hpl. Disorders of Accommodation.
15 December 1916 Adm to 24th Stat Hpl.
17 December 1916 disc to duty
18 December 1916 reported for duty X Hpl
28 January 1917 Insolence to an NCO "In the Field"
4 Feb 1917 Deprived of 5 days pay (states 12th Coy I.C.C)
28 Feb 1917 Delay in obeying an order in the field
1 Mar 1917 Awarded 3 days F.R. No.2 (Pte) - Amendment 1 Aug 2018, with many thanks to Rod Cheatley who understands the lingo, is as follows - FR should be FP - Field Punishment Number 2 and (Pte) would indicate he was demoted to Private.
19 April 1917 Reptd. "wounded in action" Near Gaza; to Hpl same date.
19 April 1917 Shell wd Lt shldr 4th fld Coy Amb
29 April 1917 Died of wounds GSW Chest at 2nd Aust Sty Hpl
29 April 1917 GSW Back; through lung. Died at 2nd Aust Sty Hpl El Arish
Buried by W.A. Moore C.F. Chaplain
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| Commonwealth War Graves Commission |
Several letters in 1920 and 1921 record the War office searching for Arthur King's address regarding who is next of kin of David. Correspondence had been sent to the recorded address of Arthur being c/o Hedge's Store, Koolberrin, via Bruce Rock, W.A.
The Bruce Rock postmaster informed that his address was unknown, believed to have returned to Victoria.
The manager of Hedge's Store later informed Base Records that Arthur King's address was now Birchip, Victoria.
Nearest next of kin was to be established for the disbursement of David's medals.
Eventually, David's mother, Mrs. E Pope of Stawell made contact with the War Office and was granted his war gratuity and medals.
What a sad story, I got stuck emotionally on poor Rachel being sent to the home. I wonder how Mr Pope felt about the household receiving the gratuity and the medals.
ReplyDeleteMr Pope died in 1915 so a bit of karma that he didn't benefit from any gratuities. Not an easy family to research.
ReplyDelete