HAYHURST, Theodore
(Service number 39578)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Rifleman |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 14/09/1900 | Place of Birth | NZ |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 16 October 1916 | Age | 19 yrs 1 mth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | C/o V. G.Pearce, Patea | ||
| Occupation | Farm hand | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 11th Taranaki Regt. (still serving) | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs E. HAYHURST (mother), 51 Banks Street, Timaru | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Reinforcements H Company | ||
| Date | 16 February 1917 | ||
| Transport | Navua | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Devonport, England |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 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 | 27 November 1937 | Age | 37 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | Pulmonary tuberculosis | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Timaru Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Theodore HAYHURST (Theo, Jack) was a son of Estelle HAYHURST (nee CASTLEREIGH) and John HAYHURST. When he enlisted he gave his birthdate as 15 November 1896, but this was obviously incorrect and done so that he would be eligible to enlist. He also stated that his birth place was St Helens, Lancashire, England. This too is unlikely, given that his mother seems to have been constantly in Timaru from at least February 1894. The birthdate provided in this record is derived from a school admission register; no birth registration can be identified in England or in New Zealand, From a reply to a letter sent by his mother on 9 February 1917, it is apparent that she was advising that he was underage. Unfortunately she was too late in moving, as Theo had already embarked on 16 February 1917. While at Featherston, on 6 December 1916, Theo was punished for insolence to an N. C. O.; he was just 16 years old then. And later in Etaples, France (11 August 1917) he forfeited 20 days pay for being out of bounds and gambling. He returned to New Zealand per "Somerset", embarking on 2 July 1919 at Liverpool His brother Lionel HAYHURST also also served in WWI; as did three HAYHURST brothers from Temuka - Cedric Dudley, Gilbert Clarence and Henry Holman - three men who were either half-brothers or nephews of Theo and Lionel. In 1920 Theo married Ellen Margaret DELURY, who was left a widow in 1937, with two children. Their son, Laurence Edward HAYHURST, born and educated in Timaru, was to died in WWII.
Sources
Cenotaph Database [01 December 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5539 0052627) [27 July 2014]; Headstone image Timaru Cemetery (Timaru District Council) [01 December 2013]; Timaru Herald, 29 November 1937, 30 January 1945, 24 September 1970, (Timaru District Library) [30 July 2014]
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