(South Canterbury Museum 2013/155.25 #01)(South Canterbury Museum 2013/155.25 #05)(South Canterbury Museum )
Aliases
First Rank
Rifleman
Last Rank
Rifleman
Birth
Date
31/03/1881
Place of Birth
Winchester, Canterbury, New Zealand
Enlistment Information
Date
26 January 1917
Age
35
Address at Enlistment
Danebury, Mayfield, Mid Canterbury, New Zealand
Occupation
Farm Labourer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status
Single
Next of Kin
Miss Margaret Rainey (sister), Clandeboye, Temuka, New Zealand
Religion
Presbyterian
Medical Information
5 foot 5 inches in height, weight 9 stone, chest 33 1/2 - 35 inches, dark complexion, brown eyes, dark brown hair
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
25th Reinforcements, J Company
Date
26 April 1917
Transport
Tofua (HMNZT 83)
Embarked From
Wellington, New Zealand
Destination
Plymouth, England
Other Units Served With
C Company 3rd Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade
Last Unit Served With
C Company 3rd Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade
Military Awards
Campaigns
Western Euope
Service Medals
British War Medal and 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
Reason
Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses
28 June 1918 - evacuated sick from the field and admitted 3 NZ Field Hospital - pyrexia (fever of unknown origin - further transfers to other hospitals in France; 27 July 1918 - admitted to No1 NZ General Hospital Brockenhurst - valvular disease of the heart; Died 21 August 1918
Post-war Occupations
Death
Date
21 August 1918
Age
37
Place of Death
No.1 NZGH, Brockenhurst, Hampshire, England
Cause
Died of heart disease - ulcerative endocarditis
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery
Brockenhurst (St Nicholas) Churchyard, Hampshire, England
Memorial Reference
Plot A, Row 3, Grave 18
New Zealand Memorials
On Memorial wall, Timaru; Temuka RSA Roll of Honour; Temuka War Memorial
Biographical Notes
William, the youngest son of William (1850-1922) and Agnes (nee Shanks, 1853-1921) Rainey, was born at Winchester, South Canterbury, on 31 March 1881. His parents had come out to NZ from Belfast, Ireland, and married here in 1880. William was educated at the Geraldine Flat and Orton schools. When he enlisted for service at Ashburton on 26 January 1917, William was working as a farm labourer for Mr Richard Austin of “Danebury” Mayfield. Described as being single, aged 35 years, Presbyterian, single, 5 foot 5 inches tall, weighing 9 stone, his chest measuring 33 ½ - 35 inches, having a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. He had previously been rejected for military service with foot problems. He nominated his sister Margaret, whose address was Clandeboye, Temuka, as his next of kin and the beneficiary of his will. After training with J Company, NZ Rifle Brigade, he left with the reinforcements from Wellington aboard Tofua (HMNZT 83) bound for England on 26 April 1917. Further training followed in England at Sling, Codford and Brocton camps until leaving for France on 7 December and posted to C Company, 3rd Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade. On 28 June 1918, he was evacuated sick from the field and admitted to 3 NZ Field Ambulance suffering from pyrexia (fever) of uncertain origin. Further transfers to other hospitals in France followed until 27 July, when he was transferred to England on SS Western Australia, and admitted to No1 NZ General Hospital, Brockenhurst on 27 July with valvular disease of the heart. On 10 August he was placed on the seriously ill list and died on 21 August, the cause of death being ulcerative endocarditis. William was buried two days later by the Rev W.R. Hutchinson in the Brockenhurst (St Nicholas) Churchyard, Hampshire, England in Plot A, Row 3, Grave 18. After the war William’s father was forwarded a scroll and plaque along with his British War and Victory Medals. Williams name is commemorated on Temuka War Memorial, the Mayfield Memorial Hall and the Timaru Cenotaph. His brother George (48863 Private, 13th Company, 2 Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment) also served overseas in France in 1918.
Sources
New Zealand ANZACs in the Great War 1914-1918 at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=211412; Every Man Remebered at http://www.everymanremembered.org/profiles/soldier/362606/; NZBDM Historical Records at https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz; Ancestry.com.au; Nelson Evening Mail 21 August 1918 p3 and Timaru Herald 21 August 1919 p6, courtesy of Papers Past at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz; Clare Church “New Zealand Graves Brockenhurst” p208
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