War Diaries for 1st. Battalion Auckland Regiment. NZEF

[Top notch]

Hello,

I am researching Private Thomas Richard Cussons, 1st. Battalion Auckland Regiment, NZEF.

I have found his attestation papers and service record. I know he was wounded and subsequently died on 22nd. September 1916, but can not find out where.

I have tried to find the war diary for his Battalion and Regiment, but got totally frustrated by the New Zealand archives system.

Can anyone, please, tell me where I might find the diaries or help me find out where he was killed?

Any advice greatly received.

Many thanks, Eddie.

[Top notch]

Footnote............ I wrote Private Thomas Richard Cussons. should have been,,,,,,,,,,,,, Private Thomas Richard Cussens !! Apologies\#.

[TEW]

Think you're looking on Archway which would sound like the logical place.

However, NZ diaries are with the AIF collection.

https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/C1357008

TEW

[BFBSM]

The Battalion War Diaries have been digitised and are available from Archway: https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/SimpleSearchResults.do

[Top notch]

Hello TEW and BFBSM,

Thank you both for the advice. I checked the Australian records but could only find relevant diaries to 1915!! However,I went to the link sent by BFBSM and eventually found the relevant diary date I was looking for. 

Once again, thank you both very much for your help.

Eddie.

[TEW]

School day for me!

TEW

[smclaren]

Hi Eddie

My grandfather George McLaren was in the 1st Auckland Infantry Battalion (1AIB) as well. George was in the 3rd (Auckland) Company ... where Pte Cussons was in the 16th (Waikato) Company.

Tragically it seems that Private Cussons was wounded (fractured skull & lower jaw) during the first move forward on the Somme (around the village of Flers) by the 1AIB ... on the 18th of September 1916 to be exact.

Here is the offical history entry for the period ...

"1/Auckland, on the morning of the 15th September, moved from Fricourt Wood to Mametz Wood, where they beguiled the time by raiding the Guards' canteen. Next day they marched to the battlefield and took over from a battalion of the Rifle Brigade. Orders were issued for an attack on Goose Alley, but after the preparations had been made these orders were cancelled, and the Battalion dug the left defensive flank for the New Zealand Division. At 6 p.m. the following evening a party of bombers successfully bombed up a section of the Flers Trench. On the 18th the Battalion was relieved and went back to Check, Savoy and Carlton trenches, and there remained for several days, doing carrying and working parties."

Here is my grandfathers diary entries for the same days ...

"16/9/16 Saturday - Left Mametz Woods at 11.30pm last night and marched to trenches behind front line a little. We go into action today. 10am today, we left the last place & moved up to firing line. Had a terrible time coming through barrage of shells. Action today cancelled. Lots of dead & wounded Huns in trenches, some awful sights.
17/9/16 Sunday - We were to hop the parapet but put off on account of the Tommies on our left being held up. At 4pm Huns bombarding our front trench here. Looks as if he is going to attack. Come on Fritz. At 6.30pm had a bit of a dust up with the Huns on our left. I shot two, we killed about 6 all together. 
18/9/16 Monday - Had a terrible night. Wet and both sides bombardment. Tommies took the two trenches on our left and us bombers had to run across a 30 yards open stretch swept with machine guns. Colin got killed & Tod & Bill wounded. At present sitting in Huns dugout trying to sleep, wet & mud up to neck. 7pm, Frank & I buried poor old Colin. We put a cross over the spot as best we could & took his pay book & etc. Will send it to his people first chance. 
19/9/16 Tuesday - Got relieved by 2nd Brigade this morning about 1am. Had an awful time finding our way back. Mud up to our knees, in fact you can’t see us for mud. Camped up in shell holes & a bit of a trench about 4 miles behind the front line. It is raining and we are having a damnable time. No shelter and nowhere to sleep."

Pte Cussons died of those wounds on the 22nd of September (no doubt in a field hospital) whilst the Battalion were still in reserve around the Green Dump area, still in the Flers area.

Pte Cussons is buried in St Sever Cemetery, Rouen, France. Grave ID is B. 20. 59

You can read the Auckland Battalion offical history here: http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1Auck.html

Good luck with your research.

Steve

Edited 27 August , 2021 by smclaren