World War 1 - enlisting

[kia cat]

My Great Uncle, who was killed in WW1, was enlisted in New Zealand Rifles. Don't think they were conscripted. He was British, from London and as far as I know, had no connections or preferences with NZ.

Would those who enlisted be allocated to any regiment? i.e just slotted in to the next regiment?
Or would it have been whichever regiment was accepting volunteers at that time?
Or would they have had an option?
Thanks

[tamborine]

Dunno about WW1 but most soldiers are given a choice of regiments according to their abilities. He could have been making up numbers as the ANZACS joined the war in the latter years.

[dothawkes31]

Hi kia, I think this item may hint at how your Great Uncle found his way to join the New Zealand Rifles. It is possible he transferred to the Rifles in Cairo.
http://www.nzetc.org/...NZRi-t1-front-d5.html

[ABerrant]

By July 1916 the training base for the whole of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had been transferred from Egypt to Sling Camp, Salisbury Plain, this being more suitable for troops destined for service in France. Subsequently, in Semtember 1917, the New Zealand Rifle Brigade training base was transferred to Brocton Camp, Cannock Chase. This is still the site of a memorial to the Brigade mascot "Freda".

http://www.nzhistory....-mascot-freda-the-dog

As far as I can make out it would be far from normal (if at all possible) for a British subject resident in Britain to enlist in a NZ regiment, even one based in Britain. Is there any chance your great uncle could have found his way to NZ before enlistment?

[dothawkes31]

I was considering that point myself Aberrant, I wonder if he had a particular skill that was lacking in the New Zealand Rifles and so he was on an attachment or something. Possibly a language thing or some sort ot training?

[kia cat]

Dot & Aberrant - thanks. All we know [so far] is that he was in the Wellington Regiment, 2nd Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, service number 23/1545. He was a Lance Corporal aged 24, and killed in July 1916. The letter to his mum from eight of his comrades said he was killed instantly by a machine gun bullet to the head. He was serving in the front trenches.

I doubt whether we'll get much further than this. But you never know. Thanks again.

[ABerrant]

It appears that Frank Ernest Ballard left Wellington, New Zealand on 8th January 1916 headed for Suez...

http://muse.aucklandm...s/Cenotaph/658.detail

The photo indicates that he was a resident of Johnsville, 3 miles North East of Wellington prior to embarkation.


Family details here...

http://www.paul-balla...grees/p281.htm#i14350

[ABerrant]

^ oops! typo - should read Johnsonville

[kia cat]

ABerrant - YOU STAR!!!

Thanks so much and a picture too. So he lived in NZ. This'll be something to impress the family with - you'll get full credit, of course!! That's great. I'll see if I can get a fiche copy from the Auckland paper. Brilliant mate. Thanks!

[ABerrant]

It did not initially occur to me to check for any previous military records but on further inspection it transpires that Frank Ballard volunteered for the first military action undertaken by NZ forces during WW1.

Prior to his re-enlistment in 1916 to see action in Europe, he was an infantryman of the 5th (Wellington) Regiment and embarked on 15th August 1914 as part of the Samoan Advance Party to capture the German Wireless Station at Apia...

http://muse.aucklandm...Cenotaph/37867.detail

http://www.nzetc.org/...Samo-t1-back-d24.html

[kia cat]

Thanks again ABerrant. Brilliant!!

[Trenchfinder]

Someone joining the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (the 1st and 2nd Brigades consisted confusingly of the Otago, Auckland, Wellington and one other Regt) would have done so from another regiment (e.g Otagos) due to a specialist skill - usually accuracy with a rifle (i.e a good shot), or bombing etc..

During their time at the camp at Brocton the 3rd NZRB constructed a concrete model of the victory at Messines Ridge that was some 40 yards by forty yards. Some of this still exhists. The mascot Freda moved with them from Sling camp in September 1917, dting in Decmber 1918. She was a Great DAne (harlequin) - forget any inaccurate statements she was a Dalmation!

All the best

Richard Pursehouse
www.messinesridge.co.uk
[e-mail]