Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

James Sullivan was born on 25 January 1869 at Molahiffe, County Kerry, Ireland, the son of Cornelius and Norah (Honorah, née Connor) Sullivan. He was baptised on 30 January 1869 at Killeentierna, Kerry, the son of Con Sullivan and Hanora Connor or O’Connor. The family was domiciled at Dromulton. On attesting, James stated that he was born on 2 April 1874 in County Cork, Ireland, both place and date being incorrect. H Somers contributed the following: “James was the son of Cornelius and Norah (Connor) Sullivan whose family came from County Kerry in Ireland where James was also born. He farmed at Cave in 1900. His sister Ellen married Benjamin Brosnahan (as listed above) and his sister Catherine married Hugh Gallen of Albury.” Cornelius and Norah came to New Zealand, as did at least four sons and three daughters. They settled in the Cave/Levels/Pleasant Point area. Mrs Norah Sullivan died on 5 July 1908 at Timaru Hospital, her funeral being delayed because of flooding, and Mr Cornelius Sullivan on 9 November 1908. Their daughter Norah died in 1899, their son Timothy in 1903, and another son Cornelius in 1911; and probably their son John in 1917. James was a brother of Ellen Sullivan who married Benjamin Brosnahan of Pleasant Point in 1882 in New Zealand. Another sister was Catherine (Kate, Katie) Sullivan who married Hugh Gallen, of Albury, in 1893 in New Zealand.

James may well have been farming at Cave with his father in 1900. For some years early in the twentieth century he lived and worked in the Fairlie area and was a labourer at Tasman Downs in the Mackenzie district in 1914. Was he the J. Sullivan who presented a gold medal for best McKenzie team at the Mackenzie Collie Club dog trials, the medal being awarded at the annual competition in March 1916? J. Sullivan handed in his name for active service in March 1916 at Fairlie. James was 46 years old when he enlisted on 3 May 1916 at Trentham. At this time, he was living at Lake Tekapo, engaged in farming for Mr H. Elworthy. Single and Roman Catholic, he named his eldest sister as next-of-kin – Mrs Ellen Brosnahan, Pleasant Point, South Canterbury. He was 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighed 190 pounds, and had a chest measurement 40½-43½ inches. His complexion was fresh, his eyes blue and his hair black. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He was free of diseases, although he had had typhoid many years prior. Vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health, he was ready to go.

Rifleman J. Sullivan embarked with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade of the 7th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington for Plymouth, England, on 21 August 1916 by the “Mokoia”, and disembarking at Devonport on 24 October. On 15 November 1916 he proceeded overseas to France from Sling and joined his battalion in the Field shortly after. He was assigned to Railway Construction Duty in January 1917, then re-joined his unit in March 1917, at Rouen. When he was killed in action at Messines just twelve days later – on 23 March 1917 - he was serving with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade in the 16th Reinforcements. He was buried in the Berks Cemetery Extension, Ploegsteert, Belgium.

John Sullivan is honoured on the Timaru Memorial Wall, the Sacred Heart Basilica Memorial and the Mackenzie District War Memorial at Fairlie. The original Mackenzie County War Memorial was unveiled on 16 December 1929. It has since been rebuilt. The parade, including the Timaru Municipal Band, 49 Returned Soldiers, the Executive Committee of the War Memorial, the Mackenzie Pipe Band, and School children from Mackenzie County Schools, formed up at the Post Office and marched to the site of the memorial. After the singing of the National Anthem, and a verse of the Canadian Anthem, the Chairman addressed the gathering, expressing gratification at the fact that at long last they were met to unveil and dedicate the memorial to the soldiers from the Mackenzie County who fell in the Great War. The design was unique in South Canterbury. It was not a cenotaph, or solely a monument of those buried elsewhere. It expressed more than that. It was a catafalque, a cairn upon which symbolically the remains of the Unknown Warrior were elevated, and were contained in the representation of a casket at the top of the structure. The base was composed of glacial boulders, and the shaft of limestone blocks. The whole erection was therefore constructed of indigenous stone. Thus, symbolically the Warrior rested on his native soil. The wreath above the tablet, composed of laurel leaves carved in stone symbolised victory. The tablet on which the names were inscribed is of marble. In a lengthy address, Father Barra, who had himself served as a chaplain, outlined clearly the campaigns throughout which New Zealanders had served, fought and died. They had “stood up in their splendid manhood, enthusiastically responding from the first to the call of their country.” He paid sensitive and abundant tribute to all involved in any role in the conflicts. An avenue of oak trees commemorating Fairlie’s fallen soldiers lines its main street.

James Sullivan, of Fairlie, left a brief Will dated 24 July 1916 in his personnel file, by which he left all his property to his sister, Ellen, the wife of Benjamin Brosnahan. Ellen Brosnahan, Pleasant Point, declared on 15 October 1918, that she did not intend to apply for probate of the will. On the Personnel record for James there is mention of a Patrick Sullivan (care of Mrs E. Brosnahan, Pleasant Point). His medals – British War Medal and Victory Medal - were sent to his sister, Ellen Brosnahan; his plaque and scroll were sent to Mr Patrick Sullivan, care of Mrs B. Brosnahan, Pleasant Point, South Canterbury, in 1921/22. James was well known in Fairlie and Mackenzie Country, where he had resided for many years. William James Gallen, a nephew of James Sullivan, served in World War One.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [21 July 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK18805 W5553 0110696) [03 April 2014]; CWGC [24 August 2013]; Timaru Herald, 5 July 1908, 29 March 1916, 3 April 1916, 7 April 1917 [x 2], 2 March 1928, 16 December 1929, Temuka Leader, 11 July 1908, Press, 7 April 1917, Wairarapa Daily Times, 7 April 1917 (Papers Past) [15 December 2014; 07 January 2015; 30 January 2020; 28 August 2020; 10 March 2022; 19 October 2022]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [18 December 2014]; SCRoll web submission by H Somers, 17 June 2021; Baptism record (Ireland, Catholic Parish Registers, per ancestry.com.au) [02 October 2021]; Ireland Birth registration (ancestry.com.au) [03 October 2021]; Ireland, Casey Collection Indexes (ancestry.com.au) [03 October 2021]

External Links

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

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