Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Robert Michael Brosnahan was born (Robert Joseph) at Kerrytown, South Canterbury on 12 February 1894, the youngest son of David and Mary (née Scollard) Brosnahan. He was baptised Roman Catholic on 1 March 1894 at Temuka (Robert Joseph). David and Mary who had married in January1872 at Castleisland, County Kerry, Ireland, landed in Timaru, New Zealand in 1875 with their first-born (David Joseph). They went straight to Kerrytown where they took up a holding of 40 acres and remained for the rest of their lives. There four daughters were born followed by four sons. Mrs Brosnahan played a prominent part in the establishment of the Kerrytown School and one of her sons (David) was the first pupil. So, Robert and his siblings were educated at the Kerrytown Convent School. His younger brother Maurice spent 18 months in 1904-1905 at Waihao Native School, probably in the custody of his eldest brother David; he had come from Kerrytown School and returned there. This family sometimes used the Brosnan spelling, although Robert was consistently Brosnahan.

At the Timaru Magistrate’s Court on 12 June 1913 a long list of cases was dealt with for failing to attend drills and camp under the new Territorial scheme. Mr V. G. Day, S.M., was on the Bench, and it was clear that he had no sympathy with the shirkers. R. M. Brosnahan said he was away harvesting. He was fined £2 and costs. Two Defence cases continued from November (1913) were called at the Timaru Magistrate’s Court on 23 February 1914. Robert Michael Brosnahan did not appear. It was stated that defendant’s attendances had not been particularly good. He was absent from the last two parades. The Magistrate imposed a fine of 5s and costs. Robert was probably engaged in farm labouring work from his youth. Robert Brosnahan, labourer, Kerrytown, Levels County was listed on the 1916 Reserve Rolls.

A well-built, healthy man, a labourer for T. W. Brosnahan at Awaranui, Robert Michael enlisted on 12 December 1916. Single and Roman Catholic, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs D. Brosnahan, Kerrytown, South Canterbury. Three people were absolutely dependant on him. He belonged to the 2nd Regiment. He was medically examined at Timaru on 16 December 1916. He stood at 5 feet 10½ inches, weighed 10 stone 3 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 32-34½ inches, with a dark complexion, blue eyes and dark hair. His sight was not great, the left eye worse than the right. His hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed. He was free from most diseases and was in good bodily and mental health. There was a question mark over inveterate or contagious skin disease and fits. He had had diphtheria 12 months prior. He was assessed Class A.

Robert was one of four Brosnahan brothers who appealed their call-up at the Canterbury Military Service Appeal Board sitting at Timaru on 6 February 1917, the others being Michael Joseph, Barry Bernard and Maurice Joseph. Two of the brothers had been passed as fit, one as unfit, the fourth had not yet been examined. Mrs Brosnahan said that she must have some of the boys at home. The appeals were dismissed. Along with his brothers Michael and Barry, he was to leave for Trentham by the second express on 20 February 1917. He was posted to C Company, 27th Reinforcements.

A farewell social and presentation were to be given to Privates R. Brosnahan, B. Brosnahan and J. Rowe in the Oddfellows’ Hall, Pleasant Point, on Friday, 25 May 1917 at 8pm. Having completed their New Zealand Service, both Private R. M. Brosnahan and Private B. B. Brosnahan embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment of the 27th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 12 June 1917 per the “Tahiti” (Transport No. 87). Disembarking at Devonport, England on 16 August 1917, Robert (and Barry) marched into the 1st Canterbury Infantry Regiment at Sling that day. He left for France on 26 October 1917 and marched into camp at Étaples three days later. After joining his Battalion (Canterbury Regiment), posted to the 2nd Company, on 10 November 1917, he was detached to Brigade School on 20 November, rejoining his Battalion a week later. As of 28 August 1918, he was still with his Unit in France. Then on 1 October he was detached to the 3rd Army Rest Camp, rejoining his Unit on 18 October. He went on leave to the UK on 23 November 1918 and rejoined his Battalion on 20 December. He went to the UK on 21 February 1919, there to the Canterbury Provincial Depot at Sling Camp on 2 March, awaiting a ship home, then detached to Larkhill. He embarked for New Zealand per the S.S. “Carpentaria”, leaving from London on 2 April 1919. On 28 April 1919, after an Inquiry was assembled on the troopship, he had to pay 1/- for loss of articles of kit. The troopship which arrived at Lyttelton on 18 May 1919. “She is a clean ship and had practically no sickness throughout the voyage. The trip was uneventful.” R. M. Brosnahan was discharged on 16 June 1919, on the termination of his period of engagement, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He served for a total of 2 years & 102 days.

Robert was born and grew up at Kerrytown; he left to go to the Front from Kerrytown; after more than two years away he returned to Kerrytown for most of his remaining years. He engaged in farm labouring work, he and his brother Michael being the only Brosnahans at Kerrytown in the 1930s. Robert Brosnahan was charged on 10 January 1922 in the Temuka Magistrate’s Court with having used threatening behaviour in a public place and was convicted and fined. Robert M. Brosnahan, Kerrytown, was in a long list of Canterbury men called up for territorial service in the fifth ballot which was published in a Gazette Extraordinary on 26 March 1941.

Robert Michael Brosnahan died at Timaru Hospital on 25 March 1943, aged 49 years. Following a Requiem Mass at St Joseph’s Church, Temuka, he was buried in the Services Section of Temuka Cemetery, a Services plaque marking his grave. An adjourned inquest into the death of Robert Michael Brosnahan, a single man aged 50, of Kerrytown, which occurred at the Timaru Public Hospital on March 25, was concluded in Timaru before the Coroner on 9 April 1943. Medical evidence was given by three doctors. The Coroner returned a verdict that death had been caused by heart failure brought about by toxaemia and exhaustion resulting from perforation of a gastric ulcer. His brother Barry Joseph (Bernard) Brosnahan also served in World War One; another brother Michael Joseph Brosnahan enlisted; his oldest brother David Joseph Brosnahan, a farmer and married with a family, was listed on the Reserve Rolls, as was his brother Maurice, a farm labourer. Henry Francis Brosnan, son of David Joseph, served in World War Two. This family also used the two surname spellings – Brosnahan and Brosnan. David Brosnahan (senior) died on 10 October 1924 at his Kerrytown residence and Mary on 14 November 1937 at Kerrytown where she had lived continuously on the holding which they had taken up on their arrival in 1875.

Pte. R. Brosnahan and Pte. B. Brosnahan are two of the Returned Soldiers whose names are inscribed on an oaken honours board, which was unveiled in a ceremony at the Seadown School in August 1920. A large gathering of Seadown residents and visitors from neighbouring districts took part in the unveiling and the accompanying musical service, which concluded with the sounding of the “Last Post”. Below the names is the inscription: “Their names shall remain for ever, and their glory shall not be blotted out.”

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [29 July 2013]; N Z Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5530 0018545) [16 April 2014]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [16 April 2014]; Temuka Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [28 August 2013; 02 April 2014]; Timaru Herald, 13 June 1913, 24 February 1914, 7 & 20 February 1917, 23 May 1917, 7 May 1919, 21 August 1920, 12 January 1922, 11 October 1924, 15, 16 & 17 November 1937, 27 March 1941, 26 March 1943, 10 April 1943, Dominion, 3 May 1919, Sun, 3 May 1919, Dominion, 3May1919, Press, 5 May 1919, Temuka Leader, 24 August 1920, 12 January 1922 (Papers Past) [17 September 2013, 10 October 2013, 16 September 2014; 17 October 2015; 13 February 2016; 09 February 2018; 31 March 2018; 05 April 2022; 07 & 26 February 2026; 03 March 2026]; Christchurch Catholic Diocese Baptisms Index CD (held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [19 July 2015]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [16 April 2014; 09 February 2026]; Baptism record (Christchurch Catholic Diocese Baptisms Index CD - held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [19 July 2015]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

TS