2nd Battalion OTAGO Regiment N.Z.

[swift1914]

Anyone have any info on the 2nd Battalion OTAGO Regiment, New Zealand?

I know that they were at Bulford Camp presumably training sometime during 1916.

Where did they go from there?

Any help much appreciated

[Arthur]

Hi,

Brief information only.

Order of Battle gives 2nd Otago Bn Attached to 2nd. N.Z. Bde, N.Z. Div. They are recorded as being in in Egypt during March 1916. In June 1916 they were recorded as being in France were they stayed until the end of the War. At the end of the war the N.Z. Div advanced into Germany. The Div, disbanded in Germany in 1919 and virtually all of the troops were back in N.Z. by the end of the year.

Sept-Oct 1916 attached XV Corps, Fourth Army

June & Oct 1917 attached II Anzac Corps, Second Army

1918 attached IV Corps, Third Army

Arthur

[Robert Dunlop]

Anyone have any info on the 2nd Battalion OTAGO Regiment, New Zealand?

Did you have a relative in the Otago Regiment?

[swift1914]

Thanks for your replies guy's-sorry for the delay in getting back to you.

Yes I did have a relative in the Otago Regiment-my Great Uncle.

He was Private Ray Gordon Phillips- Service No 59540, and was my maternal grandfathers younger brother. He had originally emigrated to New Zealand in January 1914, at the age of 18 to work with relatives, never expecting to return to Europe quite so soon!

From my grandfathers war diaries I note that he was originally with D Company, 3rd Battalion Otago Regiment, New Zealand Expeditonary Force before joining the 2nd Battalion later, for reasons not recorded. When my grandfather was home on leave from the Navy at Scapa Flow in late 1916 he visited Gordon at Bulford, after which they never saw each other again, as he returned to New Zealand at the end of the war, and did not return to England.

Regards-Pat

[Desmond7]

Was this guy one? I don't have a unit ....

PRIVATE Joseph Curry of the New Zealand Contingent, who has just recovered from an attack

of enteric fever which he developed at the Dardanelles is at present on leave with his mother and

father, Mr. and Mrs. Wm. Curry of Ballynacaird, Lisnamurrican Pte. Curry who is in his 25th

year, emigrated to New Zealand in the year of 1912 where he joined the Volunteer Force, and

when war broke out he volunteered for active service on August 8th 1914.

After three months’ training in New Zealand, the contingent embarked for Albany where they

joined the Australian Force. The training of the New Zealanders was completed in Egypt. Early

in the New Year they were called up to meet an attack made by the Turks, which they easily

repulsed.

In this encounter they had their first casualties. The battalion in which he was a machine gunner,

was amongst the first to land at the Dardanelles on April 25th 1915. Curry had many narrow

escapes at the landing. He was in the trenches for three months when he took ill and was sent to

hospital at Malta. later he was transferred to a hospital in Birmingham and at present is on six

week’s leave.

Ballymena Observer January 14. 1916

[christine liava'a]

Surname PHILLIPS

Given Name Ray Gordon

Category Nominal Roll Vol. 3

Regimental Number 59540

Rank Lance-Corpl

Next of Kin Title G F

Next of Kin Surname PHILLIPS

Next of Kin Relationship Father

Next of Kin Address Taynton Burford Oxon England

Roll Roll 72

Page Page 13

Occupation Car-painter

Surname PHILLIPS

Given Name Ray Gordon

Category First Reserves

Last NZ Address 303 Lyndon Rd Hastings

Occupation Labourer

Recruiting District Hawkes Bay

Looks like he was in the reserves then got called up

[christine liava'a]

Surname CURRY

Given Name Joseph James

Category First Reserves

Last NZ Address Aratoro Waitomo

Occupation Farmer

Recruiting District Wanganui

Same with him

[Desmond7]

Another Kiwi

PRIVATE Samuel W. Maxwell, formerly of Killyless, of the New Zealand Contingent, is at present on a visit to his friends in Ireland, after being treated for wounds received at the Dardanelles (Gallipoli). Private Maxwell and his paents emigrated to New Zealand some seven

years ago and, at the outbreak of war, he volunteered his services and accompanied the main

body of the first NZ Contingent to Egypt where he finished his training. His contingent was called to the Dardanelles at the opening of hostilities and he was wounded early in September 1915 by shrapnel in the back. He was taken to hospital in Cairo and was afterwards transferred to a London hospital from where he came to Ireland on a short furlough. he is anephew of Mr. Joseph Maxwell, Dagusville, Ballymena

[christine liava'a]

Surname MAXWELL

Given Name Samuel White

Category Nominal Roll Vol. 1

Regimental Number 11/202

Rank Trooper

Body or Draft Main Body

Unit or Regiment Wellington Mounted Rifles

Marital Status S

Last NZ Address Petone

Next of Kin Title Miss L J

Next of Kin Surname MAXWELL

Next of Kin Relationship Sister

Next of Kin Address C/- Mrs Kerry 30 Palm Grove Newtown Wellington

[swift1914]

Thanks Christine for the info on my Great Uncle Gordon Phillips.

I have unexpectedly found a photo of him in uniform, dated 1917-I'll try and load it before this thread finishes.

[Desmond7]

Swift and Christine - first of all, sorry for bringing some intrusions to this thread. Having said that, could you tell me if Otago is an area of New Zealand or is it an acronym? I am currently keying in 'items from our soldiers' weekly column from Ballymena Observer 14-18. It also covered Ballymena men- usually recently emigrated - who served in overseas forces.

I can post more on Aus. Light Horse 5th Btn and several others cos I'm keying anyway ....

Cheers des

[christine liava'a]

Otago is a province of NZ, in the south of the South Island

The word Otago is the anglicized form of Otakou, the Maori name of the peninsula near which Dunedin, the main town of Otago, is built.

Most of the settlers of Otago were Scots.

However you did not have to come from Otago to be in the Otago regiment. I have relatives from Auckland, at the other end of the country, who were in the Otago regiment.

Map showing Otago

[Guest stevenbec]

Christine,

I found another soldier from Fiji in the AIF you may not have.

His name is;

William Maitland Woods MA Capt Chaplain 4th class CofE

Was Honorary 2nd class Chaplain DMC HQ (Desert Mounted Corps HQ)

was awarded OBE MID VD.

Age 51 from Chambers NSW NOK shown as Sava Fiji.

Joined the AACD 1st July 1915 and RTA 18th Feb 1919.

You should find him on the AIF Embarkation rolls (Chaplains) which are now on the AWM webb site.

S.B

[christine liava'a]

I 've got him already, thanks, also his son Francis Maitland Woods 7th LH, but I'll check the chaplains' files both for him and some other chaplains.I didn't know they were available

[jimmyjames]

Cpl William Henry Crook is commemorated on the Cheltenham War Memorial. He served with the 2nd Bn Otago Regt and was killed in action during the battle of Transloy on 1st October 1916. He is listed on the Caterpillar Valley NZ Memorial at Longueval.

Regards

Jimmy

[jcebell]

Hi all,

We are hunting for info on my gt grandfather who was residing in Otage at the time of the war and joined / was constripted into the New Zealand army, and presumably the Otago Regt.

His name was Charles Saville Eastwood, born 24 Feb 1884. He definitely went into the army, though we are not sure if he went on to Europe and he definitely survived the war.

Any info would be very gratefully received.

Thanks,

The Bells

[jimmyjames]

From the CD "New Zealand WW1 Service Personnel and Reserves Index":

Surname: EASTWOOD

Given Names: Charles Saville

Category: Second Reserves

Last NZ Address: 95 Teviot Street, Invercargill

Occupation: Ironmonger

Classification: B (reservists who have one child)

Can't' tell you from this if he actually served, or remained a reservist - perhaps Christine could provide info on this.

Regards

Jimmy

[jcebell]

Jimmy,

Thanks a lot for the information, that really was special for us!

We are wondering a few things we hope that you can help us with:

Does the CD state a service number?

Does it indicate a regiment?

What is a Second Reservist?

Where could we look to get a copy of Charles' service record, or answers to the above questions?

Thanks again, we really appreciate your help. Your website is truly excellent!

The Bells

[jimmyjames]

You may well get Charles' service record through this link: http://www.nzdf.mil.nz/personnel-records/index.html

Unfortunately Charles' record on the CD does not give a service number - as a second reservist he may well not have been called up!

Hopefully Christine Liava'a will pick up this thread and undoubtedly offer more information that I can.

Thanks for your very nice comments about the website!

Best regards

Jimmy

[christine liava'a]

From the WW1 CD you cannot tell whether Charles Saville Eastwood actually served, but I have found other information on him, on the NZSG CD3

Charles Saville Eastwood married in 1914 to Mary Cooper Mair

He was a farmer at Te Pahu, Waikato

He died,aged 73, and was cremated on 10 Dec 1957 at Te Pahu.

His will was probated at Hamilton Court and is available at Archives NZ Auckland, filed date 6 Feb 1958, ref no BCDG 4421 49/58

http://www.tepahu.co.nz/InfoCentre/local_history.htm

[jcebell]

HI guys,

Thank you both so much for all the information, we are so grateful and this has filleded in what was a massive hole previously!

Thanks again,

The Bells

[Guest stevenbec]

Chris,

Francis Maitland Woods was 6th LHR Pte 351 was discharged and commisioned into the Egyptian Camel Transport Corps as 2/Lt 3rd March 1918.

Thats all I have on him.

Cheers

S.B

[vrijdag13]

HALLO

Before me, I have the sheet of Arthur Earl Collie (8/862) 14th cie - 2nd battalion OTAGO regiment.

Arthur Earl died the 7th of Juin 1917 'in the field France or Belgium' (of course it's Belgium, and of course it's at Mesen).

The 14th cie was that day (7th of Juin) good for many jobs, and the platoons had to do different things, HaHXWas we can read in the official history of the regiment in the great War by A.E. Byrne.

Is there a way how to find out what AE Collie had to do that day? Can we somewhere find 'his platoon'?

or

Are there perhaps letters, or books, or diaries from other soldiers of this companie - or battalion who can tell us something about that day, and what they had to do?

Another question about the Somme... How can I know if he was there, and if he personally fought there?

I see that he was at Etaples at 30/4/1916, joined the 2nd battalion in the Field but was at 22/7 sent to the hospital and rejoined his battalion on the 5th of August 1916.

Every help is welcome

[west coast]

hi there,

i have two war diaries of a lieut frank simon who was with the 10th and 8th otago regt . he gives a very vivid report for the 7th june , i`m not sure of the exact location, but some of the trenches are named as follows, plum duff trench, canteen corner, stinking farm, boyles c.t, king edward trench. probably someone will know the sector. frank simon was in dublin when war broke out ,he was a medical student in trinity college. he joined the royal dublin fusiliers 8th batt and went to france. he was later transferred to otago regt. he was killed in jan 18 r.i.p. he had married an irish girl. not sure if there are any relatives in ireland or nz, he was originially from invercargill.

mike.

[vrijdag13]

hi there,

i have two war diaries of a lieut frank simon who was with the 10th and 8th otago regt . he gives a very vivid report for the 7th june , i`m not sure of the exact location, but some of the trenches are named as follows, plum duff trench, canteen corner, stinking farm, boyles c.t, king edward trench. probably someone will know the sector. frank simon was in dublin when war broke out ,he was a medical student in trinity college. he joined the royal dublin fusiliers 8th batt and went to france. he was later transferred to otago regt. he was killed in jan 18 r.i.p. he had married an irish girl. not sure if there are any relatives in ireland or nz, he was originially from invercargill.

mike.

Mike

Thank you very much for your message.

I don't know if in these diaries there are also maps of the situation on the morning of the 7th of Juin in and near Messines.

Not every name you mention sounds familiar to me (although there are very well-known between them), and i am trying to find these and other names.

Perhaps a trench map can help us both?