[ Return ]

Commemorating the beginning of World War One

(July 26th 2014)
Report by Coralie Smith

The July meeting of the Motueka Historical Association saw a few changes in the hierarchy with Tim Rich having been voted in as President at the AGM in June. Tim is not new to the group nor is his Vice President Betty Fry. Same old secretary and treasurer though with Coralie Smith and Jennie Askew happy to continue and Eileen Stewart has taken on the job of representing us on the Museum Trust.

Two new committee members join us. Allan Winslade and Maureen Dabinett make up the committee with long serving members Eileen Thawley and Wendy McGregor.

Together the committee plan a programme of speakers and trips for the 40 odd members to enjoy as well as deal with any local historical matters that come up.

The July meeting was very entertaining with one of the best attendances for some months. The topic was a lead in to the beginning of a series of events to commemorate the beginning of World War One 100 years ago. Members were asked to bring along an item of interest relating to their family and WW1 or if they had none, to talk about an aspect of WW1. It didn't have to be local as most of our members relate to families in other parts of New Zealand.

By the end of the afternoon we had covered most aspects of war and also how to research those that went in to battle.

Anne Wensley set the scene by talking about her visit to McRaes Museum in Canada. Lt Colonel John McRae is the author of the poem Flanders Fields that is read on Anzac Day and Anne's reading of the whole poem was done with great feeling. Sally Goodall had a book on the New Zealand Army which showed how the army was set up prior to 1914 and who was chosen to serve first and why.

Eileen Stewart showed the camera her father carried with him in a second gas mask bag as cameras were not meant to be used by soldiers to record the scenes of war.

Eileen Thawley has sent off with mayor Richard Kempthorne, a photograph of Thomas Frederick Reynolds to a small French village where it was discovered he was buried along with others from the Canterbury Regiment. The French Consul had presented a silver medallion to Eileen to keep safe until a family member is found to give it to. Eileen also related the story of the chap who survived three years of war in three theatres only to lose his life in a sawmill accident a month after arriving home.

Jeanette McKay's parents met while both were serving in Egypt. Her mother was a nurse and her father in the British Navy. Their task was to deliver troops to the areas of fighting and he hated seeing them disembark knowing many would never return.

Rosemary Russell's father also served. He was firstly in the Flying Corps which became the RAF in 1918. He was an observer and Rosemary said he carried a camera everywhere all his life so thinks he used one while flying over the war zone.

Maureen Dabinett had a postcard written by a relative relating the pretty countryside and the bravery of the local people. His war files record he lost a finger and a full enquiry was required to show it was definitely accidental not deliberate.

Allan Winslade had a second cousins record which listed all the places he had served from training through to his return. It also gave a description of the man. Allan observed that there must have been an army of clerks keeping the records up to date.

John Drummond has had his fathers army records written up into a book form not in army language but in language the man in the street can understand. John has himself been in the military so gave us some insights into what life would have been like in the trenches.

Jennie Askew chose to show some of the many items donated to the association archives by the family of the late Kath Morgan. Kath's father Lance Cook wrote many letters and took photos which make up a very nice record of his time at war (see photos at the end of this report). One of the most interesting a photo of 3 German brothers one of whom Lance was guarding as a prisoner of war. He remarked that the German "wasn't a bad fellow."

Ian Duxbury is a radio enthusiast and he told us about the communications systems that would have been used including homing pigeons by the thousands and dogs especially Dobermans which were very intelligent and easily slipped past the enemy. Fox terriers were used to catch the rats endemic in the trenches.They also made the soldiers life a little more homely.

Judith Duxbury had three uncles go to war. One didn't return and is remembered on the Motueka War memorial.He died from enteric fever as so many of the men did, the conditions they were serving under being horrendous.

Betty Fry wondered how long a man stayed on the front line at a time and the men gladly explained the system of rotation sometimes weekly, sometimes longer.

Brodie Goodall had an uncle who was only too glad to talk about his experiences during WW1. The uncle developed lung problems and spent a year in England recuperating before being sent back to the front line but lasting only a short time before contracting pleurisy, then phthisis before being shipped home. Not one to dwell on his health problems the uncle actually appealed when he was given a pension and told not to work. He won and went on to work until well into his 70's.

Tom Rowling related a local story involving the "Port Kembla" an Australian ship carrying food to Britain which was sunk by mines laid by the German submarine " Wolf " off Cape Farewell. The crew were rescued by the "SS Regulus" owned by the Anchor Shipping Company of Nelson and that ship features on the Horticulture Industry mural on the wall of Image Creators. It wasn't known it was a mine that had sunk the ship until many years later.

Coralie Smith's story involved her great grandfather Thomas Porter who she discovered had come to Motueka in his role as commander of the National Reserve which was set up to train people who stayed at home. Coralie found a report of his visit in the Nelson newspaper The Colonist on the National Library website called Papers Past.

Tim Rich concluded the afternoon with a mystery about the man his aunt had married who was a soldier but who had gone off to Australia to live. Tim wondered how to research him and there were plenty on hand to tell him how.

Members browsed the photographs and papers from the associations own archives which will form a display in the research room at the Motueka Museum from September.

Lance Cook and his mate Jock having some fun while on leave. You will notice they have swapped uniforms.

 
[ Return ]