NESBITT, Robert John
(Service number 35845)
| First Rank | Trooper | Last Rank | Trooper |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 23 December 1884 | Place of Birth | Dunedin, N.Z. |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 10 March 1916 | Age | 32 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Mangapapa, Kia Iwi, Wanganui | ||
| Occupation | Station manager | ||
| Previous Military Experience | Canterbury Mounted Rifles (3 years) | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs J. Hall (sister), Wairoa, Hawkes Bay | ||
Military Service
| Served with | New Zealand Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 22nd Reinforcements Mounted Rifle Brigade | ||
| Date | 15 February 1917 | ||
| Transport | Moeraki then transferred to Boora at Melbourne for Suez | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington, New Zealand | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Wellington Mounted Rifles | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Egyptian | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal, Victory Medal | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
No information
Prisoner of War Information
| Date of Capture | |
|---|---|
| Where Captured and by Whom | |
| Actions Prior to Capture | |
| PoW Serial Number | |
| PoW Camps | |
| Days Interned | |
| Liberation Date |
Death
| Date | 20 October 1918 | Age | 33 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Palestine | ||
| Cause | Died of disease (malaria) | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ramleh War Cemetery, Palestine | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Waimataitai School War Memorial | ||
Biographical Notes
Robert John Nesbitt was born in Dunedin on 23 December 1884, the son of Robert John and Pauline Nesbitt. He attended Waimataitai School, as the family was living at Maori Hill in Timaru.
Nesbitt enlisted on 10 March 1916 aged 32, at that time working as a station manager at Mangapapa, Kia Iwi, Wanganui. He was described as 5ft 5in, 154lbs, of darkish complexion, with blue eyes, and light brown hair, single, and Anglican. He stated that he had served three years in the Canterbury Mounted Rifles and gave his next of kin as his sister, Mrs J. Hall, Wairoa,of Hawkes Bay. He became a private in 22nd Reinforcements, Mounted Rifle Brigade and embarked at Wellington on 15 February 1917 on the Moeraki transferring to the Boora at Melbourne for Suez and Egypt. Nesbitt served in Egypt and Palestine but died of malaria at Ludd on 20 October 1918 aged 33. He was buried at Ramleh War Cemetery, Palestine.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph [June 2021]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records [June 2021]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Maree Bowen, SC branch NZSG; Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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