New Zealand Reserve Rolls or Nominal Rolls

[Lanayca]

Seeking help on my latest relation. Walter James Berge is noted on the reserve rolls for New Zealand. I can't find further reference to him. Does the reserve rolls mean just that or did those on those on the reserve end up in battle?

[Acknown]

No doubt someone with detailed NZ knowledge will take this up, but on-line I found: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/researching-first-world-war-soldiers. This states: 'Some New Zealand men were ineligible for military service due to health problems or having large families. Their names were printed in published volumes in 1916 and 1917, arranged by military district'. As your man appeared on 'New Zealand Army WWI Reserve Rolls, 1916-1917' in Ancestry, logic suggests that he was deemed ineligible for active service. I note that the Ancestry entry has clickable 'year' and 'city' links, but I don't have the worldwide version - I use my public library free Ancestry access when I want to look outside of the UK.

Notwithstanding, the NZ website above has some good information about furthering your search.

Acknown

[Mark1959]

The Roll is the Second Division of the Reserve. Aug-Oct 1917 He is classed as D which means he had 3 children. He is described as Coach Driver, Malfroy St, Rotorua. No other military record found to date.

[Lanayca]

Brilliant thanks. Looks like he stayed home.