Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Walter Leslie Reilly was born on 6 January 1894 at Timaru, the elder son of Walter Granville and Mary Ann Sophia (née Tapp) Reilly, who had married in 1888. He was baptized on 18 February 1894 at St Mary’s, Timaru. He was educated at Orton School until 1908 when he transferred to Orari School. The annual picnic and distribution of prizes in connection with the Orton School took place on 21 December 1900. “The weather was delightfully fine, and there was a pleasant gathering of parents, children, and friends. At one o’clock one and all assembled to partake of the delicious refreshments . . . . . . . After full justice had been done to these, the children engaged in running, etc, and the adults in various games.” Young Walter finished first in the boys’ race, his sister Florence third in the girls’ race. Later in the day the prizes were presented. Walter received an award for the Preparatory class, and Florence was placed second in Standard III and also received a special prize. At the school concert in May 1901, Masters Walter Reilly and Jim Ellis and two girls gave a recitation with actions, “Little Sailors”. He gave a recitation again at the 1902 school prize-giving. He and Flossie also received prizes, Walter’s for first place in Standard I.

Walter Leslie Reilly enlisted on 13 February 1915 at Trentham. He had been medically examined on 18 January. He stood at 5 feet 8 inches, weighed 130 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 33-36 inches, a fair complexion, blue eyes and dark brown hair. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. His teeth were good, but one or two were to be extracted. He was free from diseases and in good bodily and mental health. There was no vaccination mark, but he was inoculated for typhoid at Trentham in March. He had a scar 1½ inches long and ½ inch wide in the middle of the anterior surface of his left leg over shin. A labourer at Winchester, single and Anglican, he named his father as next-of-kin – W. G. Reilly, Orari, South Canterbury. He was serving in the Territorials.

Private W. L. Reilly embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the 5th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington per Transport No. 25 on 13 June 1915 and arriving at Suez, Egypt in July/August 1915. He joined his Battalion at the Dardanelles on 9 August 1915. He was admitted to the Hospital Ship “Maheno” at Anzac Bay on 2 September 1915, with scarlet fever, and two days later admitted to No. 1 Australian Stationary Hospital at Mudros. After being admitted to the 16th Station Hospital at Mudros on 25 October with scarlatina, he was transferred to the Convalescent Depot on 15 November. Having rejoined his Unit (C.I.B.) on 24 December 1915, he disembarked at Alexandria on 30 December. He embarked at Port Said for France per the “Franconia” on 6 April 1916. On 25 May 1916, however, he was admitted to No. 7 General Hospital at St Omer in France, with mumps. He was discharged from hospital on 15 June 1916 and rejoined his Unit at Armentieres on 18 June. He was confined to barracks for seven days for absence from Tattoo Roll Call on 22 February 1917.

Detached from his Unit to the New Zealand Wing of the 2nd Anzac Reinforcement Camp at Morbecque in France on 30 May 1917, Private Reilly rejoined his Battalion in the Field on 19 June, then was detached to the 2nd Anzac Rest Camp on 16 July, rejoining his Unit two weeks later. He was appointed Lance Corporal on 12 October 1917, then promoted to Corporal on 20 December 1917. After rejoining his Battalion on 2 January 1918, Reilly went to the UK on leave on 12 January 1918, rejoining his Battalion again on 31 January. Having been detached to the School of Instruction on 14 March 1918, he rejoined his Battalion on 27 March. He was next promoted to Sergeant on 18 June 1918. Detached to the Divisional Lewis Gun School on 19 August 1918, he rejoined his Unit from the Lewis Gun Division on 7 October 1918. He was detached to the UK on Duty on 26 December 1918 and went to the Canterbury Provincial Depot at Sling Camp (awaiting a ship home) on 1 January 1919.

Sergeant W. L. Reilly, 6/2253, Orari, returned to New Zealand by the “Hororata”, embarking at London on 1 February 1919 and arriving on 15 March 1919. Returning Draft No. 221 brought home 1500 survivors of the Main Body and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Reinforcements. He had been admitted to the Ship’s Isolation Hospital at sea on 27 February 1919 with syphilis, and on arrival was transferred to the VD Hospital in New Zealand. He arrived in Camp in New Zealand on 27 March, reporting for Hospital treatment. His next-of-kin was now his mother – Mrs M. A. Reilly, Orari, Canterbury. He was granted indefinite leave without pay from 21 October 1919 and was to receive instructions from Public Health Department regarding further medical treatment. He was entitled to wear civilian clothing and undertake civil employment; he was also entitled to receive medical treatment. His address was to be Orari, South Canterbury. So, he was effectively discharged on 21 October 1919. He had served for well over four years in total (Balkan – Gallipoli, Egypt and Western Europe) and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. On 6 April 1920, W. L. Reilly acknowledged receipt of the Will form he had signed on 13 June 1918.

Walter Leslie Reilly married Ella Jane Chapley Burnett in 1920. They had four children – Walter Hamel Reilly born in 1920 at Temuka; Geoffrey Keene Reilly born on 8 February 1924 at Nurse Mallett’s Marama Hospital, Temuka; and twins Pearl Marion Reilly and Alan Leslie Reilly born in 1926 at Orari. Walter and Ella lived at Winchester, where the children went to school, the three youngest transferring to Timaru South in August 1937, then to Timaru West in May 1938. At both South and West schools they were in the guardianship of non-family. Walter was fined 20 shillings in the Temuka Magistrate’s Court in January 1922 for using indecent language within the hearing of persons passing. His guilty plea was a mitigating factor but the police “wanted everyone to understand that when the traffic inspector was doing his duty they must not use bad language to him.” Mrs W. L. Reilly was active in the Winchester Ladies’ Miniature Rifle Club. Walter appeared in court again in August 1932, this time at Fairlie. He was convicted and fined 15 shillings and costs 18 shillings. On 16 June he had parked a motor vehicle (a lorry) on the road at Albury at night without lights. A serious accident was narrowly averted. He was also convicted and ordered to pay court costs of 14 shillings for not being in possession of a driver’s licence.

Come January 1938 and Walter was in strife. At the Temuka Magistrate’s Court, “Walter Leslie Reilly, of Winchester, appeared on a charge of failing to pay maintenance in respect of his family. In addition to the original order of £1 a week he was ordered to pay 10/- a week off the arrears, in default one month’s imprisonment with hard labour.” On 9 August 1938, he was back in court – “For disobedience of a maintenance order in respect of his three children, Walter Leslie Reilly, who appeared before Mr H. Morgan, S.M. in the Temuka Magistrate’s Court yesterday was sentenced to one month’s imprisonment, warrant to be suspended on payment of £2 forthwith, 10/- a week off the balance of arrears and current instalments of £l/-/- a week.” In the Temuka Magistrate’s Court in October 1939 – “For failing to obey the maintenance orders made against him in respect of his children, W. L. Reilly was sentenced to two months’ imprisonment, the warrant to be suspended if he pays 25s a week off the arrears (£40 3s 6d) and kept up the current payments.”

The crunch came in May 1940 when Ella Jane Chapley Reilly petitioned for divorce from Walter Leslie Reilly on the grounds of desertion. “The petitioner said that they had been married on April 1, 1920, and had lived at Orari and Winchester. At the time of her marriage, she was 17 and her husband was 25. There were four children of the marriage. Soon after her marriage she found her husband was a heavy drinker. He drank the biggest part of his wages each week, and did not give her sufficient money for housekeeping. He brought men home and they continued to drink till all hours of the morning, and on those occasions he frequently ill-treated her. Consequently, on several occasions she had returned to her mother at Temuka. She finally left him permanently on April 8, 1937, and had received no maintenance from him since. Two or three months later the children were committed to the care of the State.” A cousin of the petitioner gave corroborative evidence. A decree nisi was granted, to be made absolute after three months. In May 1942, “Walter Leslie Reilly, labourer, of Winchester, was proceeded against for disobedience of a maintenance order, arrears of which amounted to £83/11/10. He was convicted and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment with hard labour, sentence to be suspended if payment of £1 a week is made off the arrears and the payments of current maintenance are kept up.”

Ella Jane Chapley (Burnett) Reilly married a widower in 1943 and moved to Kaiapoi. Ella Jane Arps died at Christchurch in 1969, survived by her four dearly loved Reilly children and one Arps child, and was buried at Kaiapoi. Walter lived on at Winchester, close by to his parents and brother and family. When his eldest son, Walter Hamel Reilly, enlisted for World War Two service in 1939, Walter Leslie would not sign the papers, so Walter Hamel named his aunt as next-of-kin – Mrs Leah Agnes Reilly. Walter Hamel Reilly who was a prisoner of war in Greece in 1941, was back at Winchester in 1943 when three generations of Walter Reilly were residing there. Geoffrey Keene Reilly, the second son of Walter Leslie and Ella Jane, was drawn in a World War Two ballot. Mary Ann Sophia Reilly died in 1943 at Timaru and Walter Granville in 1949 at Timaru, where they are buried.

Walter Leslie Reilly died on 2 December 1950 at Winchester, as the result of an accident, aged 56 years. The Temuka RSA members paid their respects to their late comrade 6/2253 Walter Leslie Reilly at the cemetery. He was buried in the Services Section of the Temuka Cemetery where a well-maintained services stone marks his grave. At the time of his death Walter was employed as a labourer by the South Canterbury Catchment Board. He met with an untimely death, being struck by a car on the main road when he was walking towards Winchester at 8.45 pm on 2 December 1950. He suffered head injuries and died soon afterwards. Walter Leslie Reilly was a cousin of John Norman Reilly, Peter William Reilly, Reginald Herbert Reilly, Charles Francis Taylor Peake and Herbert Reginald Walker who all served in World War One.

Shirley Downward recounts: “Walter Leslie Reilly was born in Timaru on 06/01/1894 and lived with his parents Walter Glanville Reilly and Mary Ann Sophia (nee Tapp) at Orari. He enlisted at 22 in 1915 and saw overseas service for 3 yrs and 275 days. Firstly at Gallipoli from where he was evacuated with Scarlett fever on 02/09/15. Post recovery he sailed from Port Said for the Western Front 06/04/1916 where he remained for the duration of the war. Promoted to Lance Corporal 20/12/1917 and to Sgt on 18/06/1918. He was discharged 21/10/1919 and returned to the work the farms of the Orari and Geraldine areas for the rest of his life. He died 02/12/1950 and is buried in Temuka Cemetery.”

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 February 2015]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5550 0097027) [30 September 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [18 February 2015]; Temuka Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [18 February 2015]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [18 February 2015]; Temuka Leader, 29 December 1900, 7 May 1901, 30 December 190212 January 1922, Timaru Herald, 5 March 1919, 3 November 1920, 9 February 1924, 11 August 1932, 26 January 1938, 10 August 1938, 11 October 1939, 8 May 1940, 13 May 1942, Press, 21 July 1931, 10 August 1938, 11 October 1939, 6 March 1969, Ashburton Guardian, 4 December 1950 (Papers Past) [18 February 2015; 23 January 2016; 18 July 2023; 29 November 2024; 02 December 2024]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [18 February 2015]; SCRoll web submission from S Downward, 30 March 2015; Timaru Herald, 4 December 1950 [x 2] (Timaru District Library) [08 January 2016]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [02 October 2016; 02 December 2024]; Baptism records (South Canterbury Genealogy Society records) [29 November 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• REILLY Walter Leslie - newspaper clippings (pdf, 122.7 KB updated 06-Dec-2024)

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