Profile

ANNAND, George Esplin
(Service number 14046)

Aliases
First Rank Rifleman Last Rank Rifleman

Birth

Date 10 September 1882 Place of Birth Timaru, New Zealand

Enlistment Information

Date 8 March 1916 Age 33
Address at Enlistment 17 Reeves Road, Opawa, Christchurch, New Zealand
Occupation Blacksmith
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin William Annand (father), 17 Reeves Road, Opawa, Christchurch, New Zealand
Religion Presbyterian
Medical Information 5 foot 5 1/2 inches tall, weight 142 pounds (64kg), chest 34-36 1/2 inches, fresh complexion, hazel eyes, black hair, sound teeth, slight varicose veins left leg

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 14th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, G company
Date 26 June 1916
Transport HMNZT 56 Tahiti
Embarked From Wellington, New Zealand Destination Devonport, Devon, England
Other Units Served With NZ Stationary Hospital
Last Unit Served With 4th Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade

Military Awards

Campaigns Western Europe
Service Medals British War Medal & Victory Medal
Military Awards

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

Discharge

Date 16 April 1918 Reason No longer physically fit for war service (varicose veins)

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

14 June 1917 - gunshot wound to hand - admitted to 3 Field Ambulance, then 14th General Hospital, and NZ Stationary Hospital 10 September 1917 - sprained ankle - NZ Stationary Hospital 25 September 1917 - sick (varicose veins) 10th General Hospital- medically boarded Class C - sent back to England 11 November 1917.

Post-war Occupations

Fitter

Death

Date 28 December 1949 Age 67 years
Place of Death Christchurch, New Zealand
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery
Memorial Reference
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

George, second son of William (1841-1920) and Jane Lamont (1854-1890 nee Torrance) Annand, was born in Timaru on 10 September 1882. His parents had both been born in Scotland. George received his education at Timaru Main and Waimataitai Schools, after which he trained as a Blacksmith.

When he enlisted on 8 March 1916 at the age of 33, he was working in his trade at the Addington Railway Workshops and still living at home at 17 Reeves Road, Opawa, Christchurch. He was described as being single, Presbyterian, 5 foot 5½ inches tall, chest measuring 34 to 36 ½ inches, of fresh complexion, hazel eyes, black hair, had sound teeth and slight varicose veins in his left leg. He had previously tried to enlist at Christchurch on 21 December 1915, but was rejected as unfit due to his varicose veins. He said at the time he was willing to have an operation to rectify this problem, after which he was passed fit by a further medical board on 3 March 1916. On 26 June 1916 he left from Wellington aboard HMNZT 56 SS Tahiti with the 14th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion NZ Rifle Brigade, G Company, arriving in Devonport, England, on 22 August.

Further training at Sling Camp ensued, before leaving for France on 26 September, where George was posted to C Company on 16 October 1916. At this time the NZ Rifle Brigade was fighting in the Battle of the Somme. On 14 June 1917, near the end of the Battle of Messines, he was reported wounded in action, receiving a gunshot wound to his hand. He was admitted to 3 NZ Field Ambulance, then transferred 14th General Hospital on 16 June, then finally to NZ Stationary Hospital on 1 July. On 14 July he was posted to the strength of the 2nd NZ Employment Company and attached to the NZ Stationary Hospital as a stretcher bearer. On 10 September 1917 he sustained a sprained ankle whilst on duty and admitted to hospital again, before being discharged back to duty on 13 September. He was then transferred back to the 4th Battalion NZ Rifle Brigade on 16 September 1917.

On 25 September he reported sick and admitted to 10th General Hospital with a return of his varicose veins. Medically Boarded as Class C, he was sent back to Torquay in England on 11 November 1917. Here he remained until 3 March 1918, until he embarked from Liverpool on SS Willochra for his return to New Zealand. On 16 April 1918, he was discharged from the army as being no longer physically fit for war service (varicose veins). Having served a total of 2 years and 39 days, George was later awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

After the war he continued in his trade as a Fitter, and up to 1938, he was living at his old home address of 17 Reeves Road, Opawa, Christchurch. From 1938 to 1949 he appears to have moved as he was listed as being at 129 Glandevey Road, Christchurch. George died at Christchurch on 28 December 1949, aged 67 years. Two other brothers also served overseas during World War One: 23/53 Rifleman Archibald Lamont Annand who died of wounds on 10 September 1916, and buried in the Quarry Cemetery, Montauban; and 51321 Private William David Annand (1880-1951), who served with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment.

Sources

Auckland War memorial Museum Cenotaph Database (June 2017); New Zealand ANZACs in the Great War 1914-1918 (University of New South Wales) at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=5967 - NEW ZEALAND ANZACS IN THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918; 'Recruiting: Eleventh Reinforcements' in the Press 18 December 1915 p12 and 'Casulaties: some personal notes' in the Sun 9 July 1917 p5, aourtesy of Papers Past at https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; Assorted records at Ancestry at ancestry.com

External Links

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

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