Charles Duncan MacKenzie (New Zealander)

[Fedelmar]

New Zealand Warrant Officer Charles Duncan MacKenzie drowned in Princess Royal Harbour 10.12.1916 and is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery Albany.

MacKenzie's name appears on the CWGC database as being commemorated on a memorial in New Zealand and there is no mention of his burial place.

Today (Thursday) I received an email from CWGC advising that they had been in touch with NZ authorities who have said that his record indicates that he is buried in what they call Old Albany Cemetery WA.

I have forwarded to them the information that I have and the photograph of his grave. I am waiting on receipt of the grave number to send to them.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

______________________________________________________________________

NAME MacKenzie, Charles Duncan

SN

RANK Warrant Officer

UNIT New Zealand Military

HONOUR

BORN

OCCUPATION

RELIGION

NOK

DOE

AGE

RTA

STATUS Died in Australia

DATE 10.12.1916

AGE 34

BURIED Memorial Park Cemetery Albany (2216)

MEMORIAL

NOTES Digitised at NAA

Drowned whilst rembarking Maheno and buried with Military Honours 13.12.1916

His body was not recovered till 12.12.1916

Albany Advertiser Wednesday December 13th 1916

NZ Soldier Drowns

A drowning accident by which Regimental Sergt - Major Cameron Duncan McKenzie lost his life, attended

the visit of the New Zealand hospital ship last week. The deceased, with other non-commissioned officers

spent Sunday evening at the house of Mr H Wiley. Shortly after midnight Mr Wiley left with his guests

intending to take them off to the ship in his own motor launch. The launch left the steps of the west side

of the deep-water jetty and proceeded along under the lee of the new arm. On rounding the extremity a

moderate swell struck dead against the launch. There was no cause for alarm. However, until the little

craft proceeded some 20 yards from the jetty, and then it was found that the water was coming over the

stern. The boat being too heavily weighted an attempt was made to correct the position by the men

moving further forward in the well of the boat. But the step was taken too late as three rollers following in

quick succession filled the well and washed out all the occupants. Mr Wiley asked if all could swim and

being answered in the affirmative the men struck out for the jetty. Mr Wiley and three others reached the

jetty and were called upon to assist two of their companions, but when heads were counted on the jetty it

was found that McKenzie was missing. The alarm was given and a search made but without any trace of

the man being discovered. The deceased, who was attached to the permanent staff of the hospital ship,

was 34 years of age, and a native of Edinburgh, Previously to volunteering he was steward to the

Governor of NZ.

Dragging operations were continued in the vicinity of the catastrophe all Sunday and Monday by the local

naval reserve, under Lieut., Mutton, without success. Yesterday morning the operations resumed and

shortly after 9 o'clock, both Lieut., Mutton, with a big hook, and P. O. Smith, with grappling irons, made

fast too, what they thought was the body, but could not lift it. In the meantime Mr T Schumann had

offered his services as a diver to the police and Sgt Kelso made arrangements for a launch and the

necessary gear with Messrs. Armstrong and Waters, who volunteered the use of what appliances were

required. The gear was made available yesterday morning and aided by Messrs. Cowie and J Kelso and

Constables Munro and Juggins, Mr Schumann entered the water at the spot indicated. The body was found

fast in a hole about 50 feet from the end of the new jetty on the south side. The body was recovered

and taken to the morgue. Thanks are due to Lieut. Mutton and his man, Messrs. Armstrong and Waters,

Messrs. Schumann, Kelso and Cowie and Constables Munro and Juggins for their services rendered. The

funeral will take place this afternoon at 4 o'clock, deceased being accorded a military burial. Members of

the Band are requested to parade at the hospital at 3.50 to take part in the funeral. The members of the

naval reserve and cadets will parade at the drill hall at 3 o'clock.

[Fedelmar]

Pleased to advise that I received notification from the CWGC today (18th April 2007) that this man's burial place is now recorded on the database.

Bright Blessings

Sandra

[alliekiwi]

The NZ Roll of Honour has:

1916 Dec 09. 3/1811 WO1 MACKENZIE, Charles Duncan NZMC. Drowned Albany. Son of the late Mrs. Janet MacKenzie. Commemorated: NZ - WELLINGTON PROVINCIAL MEMORIAL

The Auckland Weekly News said:

McKENZIE - Two deaths - one of a patient and one of a member of the staff - occurred during the voyage home of the Maheno. (See LIND) During the stay at Albany, Staff Sergeant Major McKENZIE, while returning to the ship in a local launch, was accidentally drowned by the swamping of the launch. The deceased, who was formerly on the household staff of His Excellency the Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, has no relatives in NZ. [AWN 21.12.1916]

Allie

[alliekiwi]

Hi, Sandra

Regarding trying to find some next of kin for this chap... I think that's going to be rather tricky. Although he was in the NZEF, his NOK upon enlistment is given as his mother in Edinburgh. (Mrs J. Mackenzie (mother), 60 Melville Street, Edinburgh, Scotland)

Various 1916 newspaper accounts of his death state that he had no relatives in New Zealand. He apparently come to NZ in the capacity of steward along with the 2nd Earl of Liverpool who was the last Governor of NZ/first Governor-General of NZ. I'm guessing that must have been around the time of the Earl's appointment in late 1912.

We may have some luck if we can find his brother, though, as one newspaper account says:

He was house steward at Government House, Wellington, having come out with Lord Liverpool. He was a native of Edinburgh, aged thirty four, and very popular among other members of Liverpool's household. He has a brother in the Imperial Forces.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14170, 12 December 1916, Page 3

However, by "Imperial Forces" do they mean AIF? Or BEF?

Someone has obviously previously researched him as his file in the Wellington Arcives has a partial restriction on it which will almost certainly be the letter of enquiry from whomever wanted a copy of his file. The problems are: a. his file hasn't been digitalised so we can't look at it, and b. even if we got a copy, we'd not get the modern letter of request (which may or may not be from a relative - it could even be the CWGC themselves, to do with your notification of where is grave is situated).

Options I can think of would be to:

1.look at the 1901/1911 Scottish census and hope the mother at the same address as when our lad enlisted... and that there are other NOK listed there that it might be possible to track.

2. Try and find who the brother is who was in the "Imperial Forces" - hoping that whoever he is he lists the same NOK so that we can find him! (Bearing in mind that the spelling of the surname might be either Mackenzie, MacKenzie or McKenzie as these things are not set in stone.)

Allie

[alliekiwi]

I'm a silly twit. His file is digitalised and available for download from the NZ archives site. Jolly useful, that.

Allie