Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Basil was born at Temuka on 7 December 1892, the tenth son of John and Elizabeth Eleanor (nee Smith) Talbot. His father John was born near Comstock, Devonshire, England, in 1845, and had come out to New Zealand with his parents in 1862 aboard the “Zealandia”, arriving at Lyttelton on 24 May 1862. John worked on local farms before going into partnership with his brother and cousin at Springston, and later at Selwyn, and also went road building on the West Coast. In 1867 he took up farming at Rangitira Valley near Temuka. In 1871 he married Christiana, daughter of Mr John Smith of South Road, Selwyn. After Christiana’s death in 1889, John married her sister Elizabeth Eleanor (nee Smith) in 1890. John had a total family of twelve sons before he died on 20 December des1923. He is buried in Temuka Cemetery with both Christiana and Elizabeth. Basil was educated at the Rangitira Valley and Temuka District High Schools, was a keen cricket player and prominent in athletics. After leaving school he worked for his father on the family farm at Rangitira Valley and had some military experience with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment, before enlisting at Temuka on 12 December 1914. He was described as being single, Anglican, 5 foot 9¼ inches tall, weighed 140 pounds (64kgs), had a chest measuring 33–35½ inches, a dark complexion, grey eyes, black hair and had false upper teeth with his lower teeth only being regarded as fair. Posted to the 2nd Canterbury Infantry Battalion, Private Talbot marched into Trentham Camp where he received instruction in basic and advanced infantry training. Whilst in Trentham he was vaccinated for Typhoid and again during the voyage to Egypt. Along with the 3rd Reinforcements, he boarded HMNZT17, “Maunganui” at Wellington on 14 February 1915, one of 1719 troops. Travelling in convoy with HMNZT18 “Tahiti” and HMNZT19 “Aparima” they arrived at Suez after a 41 day voyage via Australia, on 26 March 1915. From here the troops moved to Zeitoun Camp where further training was carried out. On 12 April the main part of the battalion left Alexandria for Mudros Harbour, on their way to land at Gallipoli on 25 April. On 9 May Private Talbot joined his battalion on Gallipoli as part of the 3rd Reinforcements, made up of two officers and 38 other ranks. They had landed at Cape Helles on the morning of the previous day. Under fire all day they helped collect the wounded after dark. Late that night they joined the battalion in the front line bringing badly needed water and food with them. On 11-12 May the Brigade went into reserve, and was not called upon to do any more fighting in the southern part of the Peninsula. The first three days were spent in rest, sea-bathing, reorganisation and refitting; but from 15 May onwards the brigade was employed on road-making and other work about "W" Beach. Meanwhile the Turkish forces launched major attacks back on ANZAC and the Brigade was hurriedly recalled on 19 May to take up positions on the seaward end of Walker’s Ridge, where they remained in reserve in Reserve Gully until 29 May. During this period an armistice was declared from 7.30am to 4.30pm on 24 May to collect and bury the dead of both sides. On 1 June the New Zealand Brigade took over Quinn's and Courtney's Posts. Three months later on 7 August Private Talbot was posted as missing. His body was never found and there was no report of how he died or where exactly. However, he was probably killed in action during the attack on Chunuk Bair, over the period of 6 to 10 August, which was one of the main objectives in the Battle of Sari Bair. The attack was carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, starting from the outposts on the shore and proceeding up the Sazli Beit Dere and the Chailak Dere. Basil was only 22 when he was killed, one of the many who died during this campaign. Later, at Alexandria on 10 September 1915, a report of Basil’s death at the Dardanelles on 7 August 1915 was signed by Captain N Fitzherbert, and forwarded to the War Office. Basil has no known grave, and his name is on the Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial, Chunuk Bair Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey. The Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial is one of four memorials erected to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died on the Gallipoli peninsula and whose graves are not known. This memorial relates to the Battle of Sari Bair and in other operations in this sector and bears more than 850 names. A scroll, plaque and Basil’s war medals consisting of the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal, were after war’s cessation, sent to his father John at “Woodlands” Temuka. Basil’s name is commemorated on the Timaru Memorial Wall, Temuka War Memorial, Opihi College Roll of Honour, Temuka RSA Roll of Honour, and Lower Waitohi War Memorial. Three of Basil’s brothers also served in Western Europe with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment; 27392 LanceCorporall Christopher Mark Talbot, 6/4359 Private Francis Matterson Talbot, and 14037 Second Lieutenant Arthur Ernest Talbot who was killed in action at Ypres on 12 October 1917. Another brother Lawrence Henry enlisted at the outbreak of war with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles but no record can be found of his serving at home or overseas. Well known brother ENT Surgeon Leonard Smith Talbot also served overseas during World War Two as a Major with the 7th Field Ambulance.

Sources

"Roll of Honour : Private Talbot" in the Otago Daily Times 31 August 1915, "Roll of honour"in the Mataura Ensign 30 August 1915, "Waitohi : a patriotic gathering" in the Timaru Herald 10 November 1919, and "Temuka : a citizen's service" in the Temuka Leader 26 April 1921, all courtesy of Papers Past at https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/; Timaru District Council cemetery records at https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemetery-search

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.