RENNETT, Thomas
(Service number 8/472)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 06/11/1884 | Place of Birth | Timaru, New Zealand |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 15 August 1914 | Age | 29 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Bluff, New Zealand | ||
| Occupation | Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | Three years with Timaru Rifles | ||
| Marital Status | Married | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Julia Rennett (wife), care of Mrs W Murray, Telegraph-Office, Timaru, New Zealand | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Otago Infantry battalion | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Ruapehu or Hawkes Bay | ||
| Embarked From | Port Chalmers, New Zealand | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Otago Infantry Battalion | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Gallipoli | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-1915 Star, 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 | 25 April 1915 | Age | 30 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Gallipoli, Turkey | ||
| Cause | Killed in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Plugge's Plateau Cemetery, Anzac Cove Turkey | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru | ||
Biographical Notes
Harry was born in Timaru 6 November 1884, the son of Harry and Florence Almeda Rennett nee Secord. On 20 February 1909 he married Julia Batchelor and they had one daughter, Margaret Ester (Enid) born in 1910. Prior to his enlistment at Invercargill on 15 August 1914, Harry was working as a labourer for Ernest Jurss, mariner, at Bluff. He had some previous military service having served 3 years with the Timaru Rifles. Harry’s description on enlistment was age 29, chest 34 ½ inches, weight 141 lbs, height 5 foot 7 ½ inches, eyes grey/blue, hair brown and complexion fair. He served in New Zealand from 15 August to 16 October 1914 and embarked for Suez Egypt from Port Chalmers on either the Ruapehu or Hawkes Bay on 16 October 1914. He was killed in action at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, one of more than 100 killed on that day. He was buried in the Plugged Plateau Cemetery Anzac Cove. “Private T. Rennett. Mrs Thomas Rennett of Timaru, received cable advice on Friday that her husband, Private Thomas Rennett, was killed in action at the Dardanelles on the 25th April. The late Private Rennett was a grandson of Mrs Govier, Clyde Street, Timaru, and was for many years a keen member of the Timaru City Rifles. His mother, Mrs H. Rennett, resides at Waipawa, Hawkes Bay.” (Press, 21 June 1915, page 10)
In loving memory of 8/472 Private Thomas Rennett, Main Body, who was killed in action on Gallipoli on April 25th. Inserted by his loving wife and daughter.” (Timaru Herald, 25 April 1919, page 6)
Private Rennett was awarded the 1914–1915 Star, War Medal and Victory Medal which were forwarded with a scroll and plaque to his wife.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database (October 2014); BDM Historical Records (bdmhistoricalrecords,dai.govt.nz); Press, 21 June 1915; Timaru Herald, 25 April 1919; Digitised Military Personal File at Archives NZ; Births, Death, & Marriages Online (www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz)
External Links
Related Documents
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Researched and Written by
George Munro; Ted Hansen (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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