Introductory Fact Sheet

Transcription

1 Introductory Fact Sheet Monument to First New Zealander Killed at Gallipoli On a remote hillock beside the old Waipori cemetery, on a site overlooking Lake Mahinerangi, is an interesting memorial to the Knight family who have been resident in the Waipori district since the early days of European settlement. The memorial commemorates several generations of the Knight family on a series of bronze plaques mounted on a pedestal, which is topped by an impressive obelisk. The memorial commemorates two family losses to world wars. One to George Cotton RNZAF WW2 who was killed in action in 1943 and the other commemorates Wilfred Victor Knight who is recorded on the plaque as being the first New Zealander killed at Gallipoli. He was serving with the Australian Imperial Forces having left New Zealand to seek his fortune there. Private Wilfred Knight was born in Waipori on 6 th March He attended Waipori School, Lawrence District High School and Otago Boys High school from He was a member of the fourth eleven and played junior football. He left New Zealand when he was 21 and was living in Junee, New South Wales, where he worked as a fireman for the railways. He enlisted in August 1914 and embarked 2 months later on 18 th October for Egypt. Wilfred Wright, 1 st Battalion F company AIF, was part of the second and third waves of soldiers to land on the beaches of ANZAC cove. He died of wounds sustained in action and was buried at sea. The date of his death is recorded on the CWGC website as between April 27 th and April 29 th 1915 and is commemorated on the Lone Pine memorial. Wilfred Knight was 25 years of age and was one of 5000 soldiers killed in the first two days of fighting. Adapted from a story by Don Ramsey published in the Otago Daily Times on the 25 April 2008.

2 O.B.H.S Archway Trail Southern Cemetery William McLennan Block 137 Plot 15 Eric Claude Spedding Block 2P Plot 99 Robert Phair Block 9P Plot 59 Earnest John Herbert Webb Block 15P Plot 94 John Haddin Barr Block 132 Plot 6 George Hepburn Stewart Block 22 Plot 11 Robert John Victor Wood Block 33 Plot 25 John Findlay McArthur Block 122 Plot 5 A.C.Boyes Block 25 Plot 9-10 Map of Anglican and General portions of Dunedins Southern Cemetery sourced from data/assets/pdf_file/0020/25472/cemplot_southernphoto.pdf Arthur Laidlaw Block 12B Plot 15 Douglas M Park Block 108B Plot 15A

3 At The Southern Cemetery - Background Notes 1 George Hepburn Stewart Block 22 Plot 11 Lieutenant Colonel George Hepburn Stewart (NZ Territorial Service Medal), Canterbury / Otago Mounted Rifles, NZEF. Born Dunedin, NZ. Married, Farmer, of Crookston, Otago. Died of dysentery on Lemnos, Greece, on 20 November 1915, aged 40. Grave: Portianos Military cemetery, Lemnos. Arthur Laidlaw Block 28 Plot 15 Second Lieutenant Arthur LAIDLAW. Auckland regiment 2 nd Battalion NZEF. Born New Zealand. Next of kin: Wife; M Laidlaw, Epsom, Auckland. Died 27 March Interred at Sucrerie Military Cemetery, Colincamps, France.? Robert John Victor Wood Block 33 Plot 25 Private Robert John Victor Wood, Imperial Camel Corps (New Zealand). Died 20 th April 1917 Aged 26. Interred Deir El Belah War Cemetery. Palestine.? Robert Phair Block 9P Plot 59 Private Robert Phair Otago regiment NZEF 3 rd Battalion. He died aged 30 in October 1917 and is buried at Nine Elms British Cemetery in Belgium. Andrew Colquhoun Boyes Block 25 Plots 9-10 Lieutenant Andrew Colquhoun BOYES Otago Regiment, 2 nd battalion N.Z.E.F. Died 16 May 1916, aged 24. Next of kin: Parents, John and Annie Boyes, of 2, Ranfurly St., Caversham, Dunedin. Interred at Cite Bonjean Military Cemetery, Armentieres, France. Eric Claude Spedding Block 2P Plot 95 Second Lieutenant Eric Claude Spedding. Otago Regiment. Second Battalion NZEF. Died 7 October 1917, aged 20. Next of Kin: Parents Clara and Donald Mackenzie Spedding, of Dunedin. Interred at Etaples France. The Etaples cemetery contains 10,773 Commonwealth burials of the First World War.

4 At The Southern Cemetery - Background Notes 2 Earnest John Herbert Webb Block 15P Plot 94 John Findlay McArthur Block 122 Plot 5 Lieutenant John Webb died as a result of an accident on the troopship in Columbo enroute to Egypt 17 November He was aged 32. He is buried in Colombo (Kanatte) General Cemetery, Sri Lanka. Image available Cenotaph database Auckland Museum. John Haddin Barr Block 132 Plot 6? Rifleman John Findlay McArthur. New Zealand Rifle Brigade,!st Battalion 3 rd. Died 5 April 1918 at the Somme. Commemorated at Grevillers (New Zealand) Memorial, which is situated in Grevillers British Cemetery. The Memorial commemorates almost 450 officers and men of the New Zealand Division who died in the defensive fighting in the area from March to August 1918, and in the Advance to Victory between 8 August and 11 November 1918, and who have no known grave. Lieutenant John Haddin Barr, Otago regiment NZEF 2 nd battalion. Mentioned in despatches. Died at the Somme between 15 th and 16 th September 1916, aged 24 years. Interred at Dartmoor Cemetery, Becordel-Becourt, France. Military award-mentioned in Despatches (MiD) William MacLennan Block 137 Plot 15 Second Lieutenant William MacLennan. New Zealand Field Artillery. Died Messines Belgium 28 May Aged 28. Son of Jane and Kenneth MacLennan, of 18, Craigleith St., N.E. Valley, Dunedin. Also served at Gallipoli. Interred at St. Quentin Cabaret Military Cemetery, Belgium. Douglas Mungall Park 108B Plot 15A (Somme) Sergeant Douglas Mungall Park. New Zealand Pioneer Battalion. Served in Gallipoli and Egypt. Born In New Zealand. Son of Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Park, of Dunedin, Fall at Highwood, Somme, 15 September 1916, aged 25 years. Interred at Thistle Dump Cemetery, High Wood, Longueval, France. Note: An empty frame with a question mark indicates that a photograph has not been located.

5 O.B.H.S Archway Trail Northern Cemetery 1 Sydney Duke Block 161 Plot 15 John Gilks Block 198 Plot 36 Thomas Dryden Block 151 Plot 1 Francis Davis Block 179 Plot 11 Preston Logan Block 141A Thomas Nesbitt Block 191A Plot 87 John Stewart Reid Block 73 Plot 38 Map of Dunedins Northern Cemetery sourced from: data/assets/pdf_file/0003/25464/cemplot_northernphoto.pdf Gilbert Worsfold Throp Block 181 Plot 6

6 northern cemetery: Background Notes Trail 1 John Stuart Reid Block 73 Plot 38 Lieutenant John Stuart Reid Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. Died 3 May 1915 Aged 22 years. Commemorated on the Lone Pine memorial. Gallipoli, Turkey. Gilbert Worsfold Throp Block 181 Plot 6 Trooper Gilbert Worsfold Throp Canterbury Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F. Died 28 March 1918 aged 29. Interred Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria. Arthur Earle Collie Block 80 Plot 16 Company Sergeant Major Arthur Earle Collie. Otago Regiment, 4 th Otago Company 2 nd Battalion. N.Z.E.F. Died 7 th June 1917, aged 23 years. Interred at Messines Ridge British Cemetery. Belgium. Thomas Holmes nesbit Block 191A Plot 87 Lieutenant Thomas Nesbit (Mentioned in Despatches), Otago Battalion, NZEF. Born Hawthorn, Melbourne, Victoria. He was a Law student and son of Rev. Dr. Thomas Nisbet, D.D. and Sarah Nisbet. Thomas Nesbit was killed in action at Chailak Dere, below Bauchop's Hill, central Anzac, on 7 August 1915, aged 23. His grave is located at NZ No 2 Outpost Cemetery, Gallipoli Turkey. Information available at Leaders of ANZAC at John Gilks Block 198 Plot 36 Sergeant John Gilks, Otago Regiment, 1 st battalion N.Z.E.F. Died 21 st January 1918 aged 20. Interred at Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Belgium.

7 northern cemetery: Background Notes - Trail 1? Francis Edward Davis Block 179 Plot 11 Private Francis Edward Davis, Otago Regiment, 1 st Battalion N.Z.E.F. Died Messines 7 th June 1917 Aged 19 years. Interred at Wulverghem-Lindenhoek Road Military Cemetery, Belgium. Sydney George Duke Block 161 Plot 15 Preston Logan Block 141A Plot 11 Lieutenant Preston Logan Auckland Mounted Rifles, N.Z.E.F. Died on the hospital ship Soudan and buried at sea, 22 nd May 1915 aged 22. Son of Col. Robert Logan, C.B. (New Zealand Staff Corps), of Weycroft, Axminster, Devon, England. Commemorated on the Lone Pine memorial, Gallipoli Turkey.? Private Sydney George Duke Otago Regiment 1 st Battalion N.Z.E.F. Died 3 June 1917, aged 26. Interred Boulogne Eastern Cemetery. France.? Thomas Dryden Block 151 Plot 1 Sapper Lance Corporal Thomas Willougby Dryden New Zealand Engineers. 1 st Company. Died 14 March 1918 Aged 24. Interred at Kemmel Chateau Military Cemetery, Belgium.

8 O.B.H.S Archway Trail Northern Cemetery 2 George Couston Block 3 Plot 4 William McKay Block 106 Plot? Antonie Beekman Block 191 Plot 52 Bertie Cowie Block 38 Plot Henry Houghton Block 3 Plot 17 Dan Bardsley Block 100 Plot 10 & 11 Rueben Newman Block 196 Plot 1 Alexander McGavin Block 2 Plot 1A Norman Bell Block 50 Plot 19 Map of Dunedins Northern Cemetery sourced from: data/assets/pdf_file/0003/25464/cemplot_northernphoto.pdf

9 Northern Cemetery: Background Notes - Trail 2? Reuben McCarthy Newman Block 196 Plot 1 Private Reuben Newman Samoan Advance Party, 5 th Wellington Regiment. Later Sergeant Reuben Newman 9 th Reinforcement Otago Infantry Battalion D Company N.Z.E.F. Embarkation Jan Died 23 rd November 1918 Abbottaba---- India age 24 years Lieutenant 3/2 Ghurka Regiment.? Henry Houghton Block 3 Plot 17 Corporal 15th Reinforcements Auckland Infantry Battalion, A Company, Machine Gun Corps. Killed in action 4 th October Ypres Belgium George Couston Block 3 Plot 4 Alexander McGavin Block 2 Plot 1A? Private George Couston, Auckland Regiment, 16 th Waikato Company, N.Z.E.F. Died 25 th April 1915 Aged 26. Commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial, Gallipoli, Turkey. Rifleman Alexander McGregor McGavin New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 1 st Battalion 3 rd Reinforcements, N.Z.E.F. Died of disease 9 th January 1918, Interred Etaples Military Cemetery, France. 10 Bertie Shiel Cowie Block 38 Plot Private Bertie Shiel Cowie Otago Regiment, 3 rd Battalion, N.Z.E.F. Died 5 th October 1917, age 23 years. Interred Brandhoek New Military Cemetery No.3, Belgium.

10 Northern Cemetery: Background Notes - Trail 2 Norman Bell Block 50 Plot 19 Sergeant Norman Matan Bell. Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Died of dysentery at Gallipoli on board the hospital ship Sicillia which was standing off Gallipoli. Sergeant Norman Bell was buried at sea, 20 th July He is commemorated on the Lone Pine Memorial. Dan Bardsley Block 100 Plot 10-11? William Gordon McKay Block 104 Plot 4 Engineer Sub-Lieutenant William G MacKay. Royal Navy Reserve. Died 18 th October 1918 Royal Fleet Auxiliary Industry is believed to have been torpedoed and sunk by a German U-Boat (possibly UB92) on a run from Dublin to Belfast on 18 th October (The RFA Hunsdon (another vessel with the Industry had been torpedoed 40 minutes earlier). MacKay was one of 21 crewmen who died on the Industry. He was 38 years of age and has no known grave. He is commemorated on the Portsmouth Naval Memorial, United Kingdom Private Dan Bardsley Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. Died 29 th April Dan Bardsley drowned en route. No known grave. Listed on The Canterbury Provincial Memorial, situated in Christchurch (Ruru) Cemetery is the following inscription on this panel are the names of those members of the armed forces who enlisted in this district who died in the service of their country in and around New Zealand or en route to overseas service and to whom the fortunes of war denied a known and honoured grave Antonie Beekman Block 191 Plot 52 Captain Antonie Beekman New Zealand Engineers. Served in Egypt Died from injuries caused by premature explosion of a bomb at Trentham 15 th June 1916 age 42 years. Interred Northern Cemetery, Dunedin, New Zealand. Note: All photographs of men included in this unit are reproduced with permission from the Otago Witness illustrated sections

11 Activities 1 Activity 1 Visit the school archway with students. Have them get a sense of the numbers of men who are listed here, who are ex-pupils and who have lost their lives in the conflict. Assign students individually or in groups to investigate further information about allocated men on the memorial. Allocate an investigation into one or two men depending on time available and access to technology. Activity 2 Cemetery visits. There are three trails that cross two main cemeteries. Alternatives are to use the trails as a whole class activity, divide the class up and go on different visits or offer these as an out of class activity to interested students. Encourage students to photograph the cemetery memorials as they locate them and record the information available on the headstone such as military rank, serial number, date of death, location of death and any other information that may be provided. Activity 3 If students have access to the internet then they can find out exactly where each of these men on the archway is buried or commemorated (if missing) from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website at Have students click on the link to the memorial certificate as this provides personal details and usually an image of the cemetery. Also have students click on the name of the cemetery link. This provides detailed information about the location of the cemetery and its size.

12 Activities 2 Activity 4 Further information including embarkation dates and details, brigades, battalions and units served and some images are available on the Auckland Museum Cenotaph database at Activity 5 Whole class activity: Map the final resting places (by country) of the men listed on the Archway. An outline map has been included but a wall map with markers pins is probably preferable and will show clearly that most fell in the battles on the Western Front during the First World War. The mapping activity also shows the variety of places If you use different coloured pins or marking pens for each year of the Great War then it will become clear that there is a timeframe within which the men were involved in at various places and also allows students to see that men were often in different parts of the world at the same time. Activity 6 Students develop biographies with a view to adding the stories of the men they have investigated to the Otago Boys war memorial community contributions section of NZ History Online at Scroll down the page. You will see where you can contribute the information you have gathered about the men from Otago Boys High School who are listed on this memorial underneath the photo of the school war memorial photograph.

13 Where in the world did they

14 Fact Sheet - The Commonwealth War Graves Commission The Commonwealth War Graves Commission was founded in 1917 by Sir Fabian Ware. The Commission pays tribute to the 1,700,000 men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died in the two world wars as well as civilian casualties from WW2. The Commission has constructed 2,500 war cemeteries and plots, erecting headstones over graves and, in instances where the remains are missing, inscribing the names of the dead on permanent memorials. Over one million casualties are now commemorated at military and civil sites in some 150 countries. The commission has an ongoing responsibility for maintaining the headstones. The Commission's principles Each of the dead should be commemorated by name on the headstone or memorial. Headstones and memorials should be permanent. Headstones should be uniform. There should be no distinction made on account of military or civil rank, race or creed. The Lone Pine Memorial Gallipoli Turkey. Image used with permission The New Zealand Naval Memorial Devonport Auckland. Over half the names listed here are a result of the sinking of the HMS Neptune in Image used with permission from CWGC.

15 Student Resource List Online brochures Commonwealth War Graves Commission CWGC Debt of Honour Register The "Debt of Honour Register" is the Commission's database listing the 1.7 million men and women of the Commonwealth forces who died during the two world wars and the 23,000 cemeteries, memorials and other locations worldwide where they are commemorated. This is a searchable database. Students need to know the surname and at least one initial of the casualty they are looking for. Men who were wounded and were repatriated but died before 1920 resulting from active service are also listed. They will be listed in their local cemeteries. The beautiful Wood Memorial in the Southern Cemetery has a Commonwealth War Grave headstone located next to the memorial. This is dedicated to Robert Victor Woods father who also died during the Great War. Some of the following CWGC information sheets are highly recommended. These include Gallipoli, 1915: Information on the Gallipoli Campaign of 1915 and how the dead are commemorated by the Commission at Somme, Battle of, 1916: Information on the commemoration of the dead of the Battle of the Somme at The Ypres Salient: Information on the Commissions cemeteries and memorials relating to the Ypres Salient at Salient.pdf Poets of the Great War: The Soldier Poets- their work and how they are commemorated by the Commission at Recommended is the Visitors guide to the Battlefields available from The Battlefields of the Somme: The Official Website. This resource is for the Somme battlefields only at a51a825532d5.pdf Although this is an outline of the British advances on the Somme the NZEF were involved in many of these battles. This is a short background on each of the main battles on a well-designed and colourful pdf file.

16 Student Resource List (Continued) Somme Gallipoli Battle of Gallipoli at the Wikipedia website The Gallipoli Campaign is available from New Zealand History Online at Battle of the Somme at the Wikipedia website The Battle of the Somme is available from New Zealand History Online at Passchendaele Information Websites Battle of Passchendaele at the Wikipedia website Passchendaele: Fighting for Belgium is available from New Zealand History Online at Middle East Resources Sinai and Palestine Campaign at the Wikipedia website Imperial Camel Corps at the at the Wikipedia website The Imperial Camel Corps was a brigade-sized military formation which fought for the Allies in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign in World War I. Its personnel were infantry mounted on camels for movement across the Sinai Desert. Personal Histories of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles This is an excellent site for content and for visual documentation of the mounted rifles brigades. The Middle East campaigns have become a largely forgotten theatre of war in NZers collective memory but not so when we look closely at the reminders in our cemeteries. The site includes many photos of the men, their horses and equipment and the engagements they were involved in.

17 Student Resource List (Continued) For students finding out about WW1 soldiers experiences on the Western Front the following short videos and audio are recommended. Rarely seen film taken at ANZAC Cove and Suvla Bay in 1915 Messines is available from Auckland War Memorial Museum. See Heroes of Gallipoli at Film: Fighting at the Somme and Messines is available from New Zealand History Online at This film shows action at the Battle of the Somme in September 1916 and the Battle of Messines in June It includes scenes of tanks being used and descriptions of what the battles were like from New Zealand troops who were there. Film: Trench life in the First World War is available from New Zealand History Online at Film: New Zealand troops in Belgium (silent) is available from New Zealand History Online at Audio: Bert Stokes remembers Passchendaele is available from New Zealand History Online at You can listen to Bert and read along with him as he describes his experiences at Passchendaele at the time of the October 1917 offensive. Photos of Bert as a young soldier and in old age are included. (He lived until he was 92). Movies / DVDs Audio, Video and DVDs Tolga Örnek (2005) Gallipoli: The Front Line Experience. Narrators Jeremy Irons & San Neill. This documentary uses archival photos and film footage, as well as aerial photography and dramatisations to provide a detailed account of the military campaign. Örnek uses the letters and diaries of 10 soldiers British, Australian, New Zealand and Turkish. The voices of the men, gives the movie an extraordinary human dimension and immediacy.

18 Student Resource List (Continued) Diaries Waite, Fred, (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli Whitcombe and Tombs, 1919, Christchurch. Now in electronic text at The New Zealand Electronic Text website at Edward P. Coxs Gallipoli Diary is also in electronic text at The New Zealand Electronic Text website at describes day-to-day life from the time of embarkation though to August 5 th Letters Diaries and Letters For students Letter from the Somme is available from New Zealand History Online at written by Captain Alex McColl to his mother. Further References * Behind the lines : the lives of New Zealand soldiers in the First World War by Nicholas Boyack. * See also Spedding, Eric Claude. Papers Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS folder which includes12 picture postcards, 6 letters written by E.C. Spedding to his family in June and September 1916; 2 photographs; 4 envelopes; 1 newspaper cutting; and 15 letters of condolence to parents of E.C. Spedding, October 1916 and June Note: If possible make the web links available to students on the school intranet. Students working in these activities as part of homework activities may find the addresses long and cumbersome to type into the address line of the browser. Students may find it easier to search for the information using the name of the site, which has been provided in italics before the address.

19 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story Every year a special service to commemorate the Old Boys of Otago Boys High School who were killed in action or died or wounds in the two World Wars is held in the school auditorium. The service is held for the boys of the senior school. Note: The following photo-story is also available for download as a slideshow.

20 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 2 The service begins with a welcome by the principal Mr Clive Rennie and a reading In Praise of Famous Men by the Head Boy. Left: The school choir are accompanied by the school orchestra as they sing The Lords Prayer. The school follows with a rendition of the school song.

21 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 3 The main speaker for the 2008 service was Air Vice Marshall Robin Klitscher who spoke to the boys about the various services, army navy and air force and the incredible loss of life that was experienced by all the services in both wars. Such a loss of life was only endurable if subsequent generations did not forget the sacrifice and the reasons for it. The service finishes with The Lords Prayer and the New Zealand National Anthem and the Deputy Head Boy reads from the book of remembrance.

22 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 4 Mementoes for the service include a violin played by A. C. Aitken as the troops landed at ANZAC Cove on Gallipoli. A. C. Aitken was to survive the war after serving in France. He has written the names of those battles in which he served inside the violin case. A.C. Aitken eventually became a professor of Mathematics at Cambridge University and wrote a book on his experiences of the war, which is also presented as an item of remembrance at the service. Also part of the service is a sprig of Rosemary cut from the memorial planting beside the archway. Rosemary is for remembrance.

23 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 5 When the service is complete the year 13 boys form a line along each side of the driveway from the main block to the memorial archway. The Head Boy and the Deputy Head Boy lay wreaths for the pupils of the school and the Board of Trustees and Parents Association.

24 O.B.H.S. ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 6 The wreaths are laid under the four bronze plaques that list the men of the school who lost their lives in WW1. The Last Post and Reveille is hauntingly played by Mr W Henderson on the bugle.

25 Otago Boys High School ANZAC memorial service A picture story - 7 The invited guests, staff and boys approach the archway one by one and lay a poppy at the base of the plaques.