Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Robert Henry Rickman, known as Bob, was the only son of Robert Abbott and Catherine (née Middleton) Rickman. He was born on 19 August 1893 at Ashburton. He was educated at the Ashburton Borough School, where his father served on the school committee. In December 1902 young Robert competed in the Ashburton County Schools Athletic Sports Meeting, finishing third in the third heat of the 75 Yards, 7 to 11, event, and qualifying for the final. The family moved to Waimate in 1904, when Mr Rickman took a position with Dalgety and Company Ltd. At the Waimate Amateur Swimming Club’s annual carnival held in February 1910, R. Rickman came home first in the 25 Yards Youths Open Race. In the Under 18 race he finished second in the second heat. He was a member of the Waimate Swimming Club No. 2 team which finished in second place in the Relay Race. R. H. Rickman was present at a meeting of members of the Waimate Racing Club held in December 1908. He followed in his father’s footsteps in hunting the hounds. The Waimate hounds met at “Te Waimate” on 5 May 1910, and among those following was R. Rickman, junior, on Archie. The Ikawai batchelors’ social donated £14 to the Waimate District Red Cross Fund in 1915, per R. Rickman.

Robert Rickman had registered for compulsory military training and was first medically examined for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 8 December 1914 at Timaru, but was rejected as unfit on account of a broken cartilage in the knee. The 1916 Reserve Rolls listed Robert Henry Rickman, a farmer at Ikawai, Waimate. He enlisted on 29 January 1917, aged 23 years 5 months. Standing at 5 feet 9 inches, weighing 160 pounds, with a chest measurement of 34-37 inches, he had a fresh complexion, blue eyes and light brown hair. While his hearing and colour vision were normal, his sight was only 6/9 in both eyes. His limbs and chest were well formed, his heart and lungs normal, and he had full movement of his joints. He was free of all diseases and had been vaccinated in the left arm. He was assessed as Fit, Class A, even though he had suffered an accident 6 years ago to left knee (supposed displacement of cartilage), but it had not given trouble since. A farmer, single and Anglican, he was residing at "Chetnole", Waihao Downs, Canterbury, and nominated his father as next-of-kin - Robert Abbott Rickman, C/o Dalgety & Co, Timaru. Mr and Mrs Rickman had moved to Timaru in about 1910. Robert Henry Rickman had served with the Volunteers which had been disbanded.

It was 4 April 1917, when Trooper R. H. Rickman left Timaru for Trentham. While at Featherston, on 16 June, he forfeited 3 days pay for overstaying extended leave. Attached to the Mounted Machine Gun section, he spent his leave in Timaru in late June. He embarked with the Mounted Rifles Brigade of the 29th Reinforcements per the “Tofua”, leaving Wellington on 13 November 1917 for Suez, Egypt, where he disembarked on 21 December and marched in to Moascar. He was detached to the School of Instruction at Zeitoun and posted to the New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron in January 1918. A few weeks after dental treatment in June, he was posted to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade.

Rickman had a bad run in November 1918. He had gone to hospital at Cairo, sick on 5 November. Suffering from pleurisy, he was admitted to the 47th Stationary Hospital at Cairo, on 7 November, and to the 44th Stationary Hospital on 20 November. From there he went to the General Hospital at Abbassia, on 25 November, and on 27 November 1918, was discharged from hospital to Aotea Convalescent Home. In December he returned to duty. Trooper Rickman was appointed Lance Corporal in June 1919, which rank he relinquished in September ex the “Ellenga”. Trooper R. H. Rickman returned to New Zealand from Egypt per the troopship “Ellenga”, embarking at Suez on 23 July 1919 and arriving in late August. He was discharged on 12 October, having completed his term of engagement. All his service had been in Egypt, for which he received the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

He was soon back into local activities. In 1922 he was elected a new member of the Waimate Hunt Club, and at the annual meeting in 1924, and in successive years, he was elected to the committee. Bob had the good fortune to win sixth prize in the Waimate Rugby Sub-union’s Queen Carnival art union in 1925 – an alluvial gold watch valued at £1. More good fortune - Robert married Mary Ruddenklau, in 1926. In 1928 he was appointed by the Waimate Hunt Club to “flag the horses on the course proper at the finish of the three steeplechases.” Special thanks were conveyed to Mr R. H. Rickman and others, in July 1930, for their help on race day. At the Waimate Sheep Dog Trial Club’s meeting in March 1936, Mr Rickman was elected to the timekeepers and flag stewards positions. The following month he was elected to the Waihaorunga School Committee. In July he was back “flagging in” at the hunt club’s annual steeplechase. And in December 1936 Bob was elected president of the Waimate Sheep Dog Trial Club. Flag steward for the Hunt Club’s race meeting was the role in July 1937. The Waimate A. and P. Association’s show in 1939 was a busy time for Bob – he was a steward for the Ewe Hogget Competition and he had an entry from his farm (Camden) in the Class I Corriedale and halfbred hoggets. Soon after, he was elected president of the Waimate Collie Dog Club. At the 1938 Waimate show he was a steward for the Cobs and Ponies. In 1940 Bob was elected secretary of the Waimate Sheep Dog Trial Club. At the 1946 Waimate Agricultural and Pastoral Association’s show, which was the first held since 1941, Mr Rickman was judged first in the rough-haired collie dog class. It was in the intervening period that Robert Henry Rickman fronted up for service in World War II, being posted temporary lieutenant to the Waimate Battalion and serving in the Home Guard. He was then farming at Pentland Hills, Waihaorunga. On 1 January 1944 he was posted to the Reserve of Officers.

A farmer at Waihaorunga, Robert died on 9 November 1960 at Waimate, aged 67 years, and survived by his wife Mary, two daughters and a son. His funeral service and burial at the Waimate Cemetery were attended by the Brethren of Lodge St Augustine, Waimate. He appointed his wife, his son and a brother-in-law as executors and trustees of his Will. He made very express and comprehensive provisions for his wife, conditions for the operation of his farm or sale thereof (“Camden”, where Bob and Mary lived all their married life), and shares in his estate for his children. Robert Henry Rickman was a nephew of Edward Albert Rickman who was killed in action in 1915 at Gallipoli. The name of R. H. Rickman is recorded on the Redcliff District Memorial as Served Overseas.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 November 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5550 0097826) [23 November 2013], NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5958 0359837) [12 October 2016]; ancestry.com.au [23 November 2013]; Ashburton Guardian, 18 December 1902, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 14 December 1908, 25 February 1910, 6 May 1910, Timaru Herald, 25 February 1910, 10 April 1917, 23 June 1917, 11 July 1922, 29 Sep 1924, 22 August 1925, 5 October 1926, Oamaru Mail, 3 September 1915, Sun, 16 August 1919, Press, 4 July 1928, 26 July 1929, 1 October 1929, 1 August 1930, 30 April 1936, 8 July 1936, 13 July 1937, 17October 1938, 21 January 1942, Otago Daily Times, 26 March 1936, 3 December 1936, 11 October 1937, 10 November 1937, 14 February 1939, 15 February 1940, 28 March 1946 (Papers Past) [16 September 2014; 23 May 2015; 04 April 2020]; Timaru Herald, 21 November 1960 (Timaru District Library) [08 January 2016]; Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [23 June 2014]; Waimate Cemetery burial record (Waimate District Council) & headstone transcription (South Canterbury Branch NZSG records); NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au)

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file
• Other military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS