LEST WE FORGET - our family's brave soldiers

To commemorate 100 years of ANZAC.

1915 - 2015

LEST WE FORGET

As I gradually find information to add about each soldier you can click on their name to read their story.

Please let me know of any I don't have or if you would like information added.

Our family's soldiers were predominately ANZACS          

(Australian and New Zealand Army Corp).

ANZAC DAY is celebrated on the 25th of April each year.

Alona from the Lonetester HQ  blog  has written a great post about 21 ANZAC Day facts.

Boer War

FORSYTH, JOHN -  returned home to NZ - Trooper - Service No. 3836, enlisted in the 6th New Zealand Contingent, known as the "Silent Sixtth", on the 18th of January 1901 at Wellington.

World War 1

ADAMS, Charles Nightingale - Serial No. 50972: Private, 27th reinforcements (second draft) New Zealand Army Nursing Service, embarkation 16 July 1917, N.O.K  Mrs A.M.S Adams (wife) 3 Rixon Grove, Wellington, NZ - returned home 1919.

ADAMS, Morgan - Private - 7th Battalion, 5th Reinforcements A.I.F - returned home 1919 - SERN 1903 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Mother) M Adams

AH-KING, David Alexander -  died of wounds Kantara, Egypt 29 April 1917 - King, David Alexander : SERN 727 : POB Birchip VIC : POE Sydney NSW : NOK (Brother) King, Arthur.

AH-KING, Edmund James - Private - 22nd Battalion A.I.F - killed Pozieres 5 Aug 1916 - King, Edward James - SERN 1155 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Warracknabeal VIC : NOK (Wife) King Caroline

BEATON, Peter Francis (Frank)  - Private 24th Battalion, 10th reinforcement, later 51st Battalion - Returned to Australia 10 September 1917: SERN - 3015: Place of birth - Euroa, Victoria: Place of Enlistment - Melbourne, Victoria: Next of Kin - Father, Mr Peter BEATON, Euroa, Victoria.

BEATON, William John - Private 14th Battalion: killed at Gallipoli 27 Aug 1915:  SERN - 1912 : Place of birth - Euroa VIC : Place of enlistment - Euroa VIC : Next of kin -  (Father) BEATON, Peter

CROOKE, John Michael -Private - 36th Battalion A.I.F - killed in action France 18th October 1917 - SERN 7226 : POB South Melbourne VIC : POE Sydney NSW : NOK (Father)  Crooke John

CROWL, Bertie Leslie - Private - 7th Battalion, 12th reinforcements AIF - returned home 5th April 1919. SERN 3712 - Enlisted 8th July 1915.

EDMONDS, William Arthur - Private - 38th Battalion A.I.F - killed in action in France on the 29th September 1918 - SERN 4803 : POB Nathalia VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Father) Edmonds William H

FINDLATER, Nicol Thomas - Died France 20 May 1915 - Regimental No. 29440 -  Private in No 3 Coy, 16th Battalion Canadian Infantry (Manitoba Regiment)

FLEMING, Albert Henry Percival - Sergeant Major- 5th Battalion, A Company A.I.F - returned home - SERN 24 : POB Melbourne VIC : POE Melbourne VIC : NOK (Wife) Fleming Marjory

FLEMING, David Claude - Private - Divisional Signal Company 2, Reinforcement 17 - SERN 15896 - Returned to Australia 16 June 1919 - NOK - mother Mrs Jessie Fleming, King Valley, Victoria

FLEMING, John Henry - Private - 37th Battalion, C Company - returned home - SERN 868 - POE Melbourne, VIC: NOK - Father, Moses Fleming, Billy's Lookout, West Wyalong, New South Wales

FLEMING, Leslie John - Private - 8th Battalion, A company - SERN 125 - Returned to Australia 20 May 1919 - NOK - Uncle, John Knight Fleming, Edi via Wangaratta, Victoria

FLEMING, William Finley - Private/Gunner - 8th Australian Light Horse, 12th Reinforcement, enlisted 4th August 1915 and returned home - SERN 1561 - Place of Birth: Whitfield, Victoria - Place of Enlistment: Seymour, Victoria - NOK mother Mrs F. Fleming, King Valley, Whitfield.

FORSYTH, Edward  - Gunner - killed France 4th March 1917 - Service No. 144186 15th Division  Royal Horse Artillery and Royal Field Artillery - buried St Sever, Rouen
.

FORSYTH, George - Private - 47th Battalion A.I.F - killed Pozieres 9 Aug 1916 - SERN 1654 : POB Fraserburgh Scotland : POE Charters Towers QLD : NOK (Mother) Forsyth Jane

FORSYTH, James - Sergeant - returned home to New Zealand - Serial No.13/2773 - 9th Reinforcements Auckland Mounted Rifles, A Squadron. 

FORSYTH, John - returned home to New Zealand - Serial No.17561 - First Known Rank Corporal - Embarkation Unit 20th Reinforcements Mounted Rifles Brigade, Mounted Machine-gun Section

FORSYTH, Robert - killed Flanders 20 Nov 1914 - Private 817 in the 1st Battalion - Gordon Highlanders

FORSYTH, William - returned home to New Zealand - enlisted as Private 15 June 1916 - 2nd Battalion Otago Regiment New Zealand - Serial No.13/2189 - First Known Rank Trooper - Embarkation Unit Auckland Mounted Rifles. Discharged a corporal.

HARRISON, Maurice - Lance corporal - 14th Battalion A.I.F - Awarded the Military Medal for conspicuous bravery & devotion to duty - died of disease France 22 Oct 1918 - SERN - 1952 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE- Euroa VIC : NOK - (Father) HARRISON George.

KINGSBURY, Albert Henry - died 25 Oct 1918 - Trooper - Service No: 43735  - Regiment/Service: Canterbury Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F. - Grave Reference Q. 14. CAIRO WAR MEMORIAL CEMETERY

MCROBBIE, George - Corporal - returned home - enlisted to 3rd Company 1st Battalion Auckland Regiment.  Service Number 28360. N.O. K  father, William McRobbie. Enlisted 26 June 1916.

MELVIN, Arthur Davidson - killed in action Vimy, France 8 April 1917 - Service no. 446966 - Sergeant Canadian Infantry, "C" Coy 31st Battalion

MORGAN, Archibald Thomas - returned home - 7th Battalion A.I.F, C Company regimental number 370 : Place of Birth - Euroa VIC : Place of Enlistment - Seymour VIC : Next of Kin - MORGAN S A

MORGAN/WAKENSHAW, HERBERT JOHN - Private 22nd Battalion 3rd reinforcements - enlisted 19 July 1915 - Died of wounds, France  5th August 1916 - SERN- 2037 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE- Melbourne VIC : NOK  - (Mother) COWELL M

MORGAN, Thomas Fitzherbert - Private 24th Battalion 20th Reinforcements - Service Number - 6842 : Place of Birth - Hilston NSW : Place of Enlistment - Euroa VIC : Next of Kin - (Mother) MORGAN J

MORGAN Thomas Fitzherbert : Private 7th General Victorian Reinforcements -Service Number - 55670 : Place of Birth - Euroa VIC : Place of Enlistment - Euroa VIC : Next of Kin - (Father) MORGAN Thomas F

MORGAN,  William John Pike  Private 14th Battalion A.I.F - killed Lone Pine 8 Aug 1915 - SERN - 893 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE - Broadmeadows VIC : NOK - (Mother) MORGAN S A

RATTRAY, John - killed France 1916

SAXON,  Bertie Henry- killed France 6 Oct 1918 - SERN - 2708 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE - Melbourne VIC : NOK - (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON,  Joseph Stanley - killed Pozieres 4 Aug 1916 -  SERN - 1564 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE- Euroa VIC : NOK - (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON Thomas Abraham- returned home - SERN - 485 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE - Euroa VIC : NOK - (Father) SAXON John Thomas

SAXON, William Frederick - returned home - SERN - 694 : POB - Euroa VIC : POE - Seymour VIC : NOK - (N/A) SAXON John Thomas SAXON

Click HERE  to read a guest post about the Saxon boys written by their sister's  grandson Harold Shipston

World War 2

ADAMS, Frank Francis (Francis Edward)  First enlistment - Private - VX 26047 - 8 Division petrol company- DOB 12 July 1906; POB Kensington, Victoria.  POE - Caulfield 15 June 1940.  NOK - Catherine Goodwin - sister.  Date of discharge 23 October 1940 "medically unfit for service not occasioned by his own default"

second enlistment - Private - VX 114516 - HQ 2 Aust Army - POE Parramatta NSW 19 October 1942 - NOK - Florence Adams - wife.  Date of discharge 30 October 1945.

MCCOOMB, George Alexander - Sergeant - Service Number - VX58426 : Date of birth - 08 Sep 1915 : Place of birth - EUROA VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin - MCCOOMB HENRY (father) - Enlisted 24 Jun 1941 2/8 Aust Armed Regiment - discharged from A.I.F. 29 Mar 1946.

MCCOOMB, Thomas Neil - Service Number - VX30770 : Date of birth - 07 May 1912 : Place of birth - EUROA VIC : Place of enlistment - ROYAL PARK VIC : Next of Kin - MCCOOMB HENRY killed 6 July 1945 - buried Ambon War Cemetery, Maluku, Indonesia.

MORGAN,  Benjamin Robert - Private - Official No VZ 7184 - 2/7 Australian Inf Bn - Army.  Taken prisoner of war in Crete.  Died in Germany, result of injuries.  He is buried at Lamsdorf War Cemetery, Grave 5, Row 5, Field 3.  He was 34 years old and brother to Private William John Pike Morgan killed on Gallipoli (14th Bn G Coy) at the age of 18 years.  Second son lost to Thomas Fitzherbert and Sarah Morgan of McGuinness Street, Euroa, Victoria, Australia

MUSSON,  Ivor Forsyth - Sapper - Serial No.  22597 - second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 7 Field company.  N.O.K (sister) Mrs. A. W. Ford West Belt, Rangiora, Christchurch.

MUSSON, William Robert - Private - Serial No. 21707 - 21st Auckland Battalion, N.O.K (brother) E. M. Musson

SHIPSTON, Donald Saxon - returned home - SERN - VX32651 : DOB - 28 May 1919 : POB - ELSTERNWICK VIC : POE - ROYAL PARK VIC : NOK - SHIPSTON GRACE

We Will Remember Them.

LINKS

Abbreviations used in World War I and World War II service records

Cemeteries on the Somme Battlefields, France

His Majesty's Australian Transports [HMAT] Ships

Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database

Auckland Council Heritage Images website

The Empire Called and I Answered - the Volunteers of Essendon and Flemington

This post is my Week 17 contribution to  52 Ancestors Challenge 
  by Amy Johnson Crow at "No Story Too Small"

Military Monday - John Forsyth (Boer War)

Ten contingents of New Zealand soldiers participated in the Boer War and they all received the Queens South Africa medal pictured right. 

John Forsyth was the much loved grand-dad of Anne-maree Osborne and Margaret Tyson nee Forsyth and their brothers David, Mark and Michael.  He was my great grand Uncle but I never had the privilege of meeting him.
Anne-maree and I have had lots of fun over the last ten years extensively researching our Forsyth ancestors.

John Forsyth was born on the 10th of May 1879 at Rhodes Swamp, Christchurch, New Zealand, third son of Robert Forsyth and Jessie nee Farquhar.  He married Melva Carleton Watson on the 7th of February 1929 at the Methodist Church in Morrinsville, New Zealand.
He married later in life as he was busy fighting for the Empire in both the Boer War in South Africa and WW1.

This post is about his Boer War service, his WW1 service will follow another day.

John is listed as John "Forsythe" in the Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph database, we're not sure why an 'e' was tacked on.  Perhaps at some stage a full stop was written at the end of Forsyth and it looked like an 'e'.

Trooper John Forsyth 3836, enlisted in the 6th New Zealand Contingent, known as the "Silent Sixtth", on the 18th of January 1901 at Wellington.  

His attestation paper shows that he was drafted from the Studholme Mounted Rifles with whom he had been a Trooper for nine months.  At that time he was a farmer, 21 years and 8 months of age, living at Coutts Island, Kaiapoi. He was five foot seven inches tall, had a chest measurement of thirty-five inches and weighed 10 stone six pounds. 
He listed his mother Jessie (also known as Jean) as his next of kin. 

The sixth contingent embarked on the SS "Cornwall" on the 30th of January 1901 and arrived in South Africa in March 1901.  Below is a newspaper article about the Cornwall's departure. 

Queen Victoria had died at Osborne House, Isle of Wight, on the 22nd of January so in deference to this the SS Cornwall sailed with no demonstration at the send off.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXII, Issue 25, 30 January 1901, Page 2

Click here to read the rest of the article 

In a letter from Pietersburg, dated April 10, James Robertson, writes to his parents at New Brighton with an account of the sixth contingent's experiences. 

This was published in the newspaper on the 27th of June 1901.

 Star , Issue 7135, 27 June 1901, Page 1

Read the rest of the News article here 

Following are some links to sixth contingent photos at New Zealand history online:

Members of the Sixth Contingent which left for South Africa in January 1901.

A cold night's sleep: members of New Zealand's Sixth Contingent sleeping out on theveldt (open plains) in South Africa, circa 1901.

New Zealand troopers from the Sixth Contingent move across open plains in South Africa, 1901. This photograph was possibly taken by Private William Raynes, a Waikato farmer serving with No. 16 Company.

Jessie Forsyth must have had to give permission for her son to remain  ...... with the army?

Tribute page for our Servicemen