RIDDELL, John
(Service number 13/2365)
| Aliases |
Jack |
| First Rank |
Trooper |
Last Rank |
Corporal |
Birth
| Date |
29/05/1887 |
Place of Birth |
Timaru, New Zealand |
Enlistment Information
| Date |
23 August 1915 |
Age |
28 |
| Address at Enlistment |
Takapau, New Zealand |
| Occupation |
Fencer |
| Previous Military Experience |
|
| Marital Status |
Single |
| Next of Kin |
Mrs H. Riddell (mother), Timaru, New Zealand |
| Religion |
Church of England |
| Medical Information |
Height 6 foot, weight 11 stone 2 lbs, chest 32 - 36 inches, fair complexion, blue eyes, lt brown hair, 4 artificial teeth with the rest sound |
Military Service
| Served with |
NZ Armed Forces |
Served in |
Army |
| Military District |
|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation |
7th Reinforcements |
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship |
Auckland Mounted Rifles |
| Date |
9 October 1915 |
| Transport |
Aparima |
| Embarked From |
Wellington, New Zealand |
Destination |
Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With |
NZ Field Artillery |
| Last Unit Served With |
NZ Field Artillery |
Military Awards
| Campaigns |
Egyptian & Western Europe |
| Service Medals |
1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Military Awards |
|
Death
| Date |
3 December 1958 |
Age |
71 |
| Place of Death |
Wanganui, New Zealand |
| Cause |
|
| Notices |
Internal Affairs 19 December 1958 |
| Memorial or Cemetery |
Wanganui, New Zealand |
| Memorial Reference |
Plot 359/RSA/B |
| New Zealand Memorials |
|
Biographical Notes
John, third son of Henry and Julia (nee Conway) Riddell, was born at Timaru on 29 May 1887. When he enlisted as a Trooper in the Auckland Mounted Rifles on 23 August 1915, John was working as a fencer for Mr F. Baker at Takapau. He was described as being single, Anglican, 6 foot in height, weighing 11 stone 2 lbs, chest measuring 32 – 36 inches, of fair complexion, with blue eyes, brown hair, and having four artificial teeth with the rest being sound. His mother, Mrs H. Riddell was listed as his next of kin, and his last NZ address as Takapau. Jiohn left with the 7th Reinforcements from Wellington on 9 October 1915, aboard the SS Aparima, arriving at Suez, Egypt, on 18 November. While in Egypt, John was transferred to the NZ Field Artillery, before leaving for France on 6 April 1916. Serving as a Gunner with the Field Artillery, he was promoted to Lance Bombardier on 14 July 1917 and to Bombardier on 11 August 1918. He remained in France until 6 February 1919, until being sent back to England, where he remained in Sling Camp. On 27 March 1919, he boarded SS Kiaora, for his return to NZ, arriving home on 9 May. John was finally discharged from the army on 6 June 1919. After having served for 3 years and 288 days, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. In 1922 John married Miss Euphemia Watters Dunnett, and from 1928 to 1938, he is recorded as working at Muriwai in the Gisborne district, as a station hand. After World War Two he was at Petone (Wellington), working as a watchman, and in 1954, was retired and living in Wanganui, where he died on 3 December 1958. John is buried in the Wanganui Cemetery, RSA/B Section, Plot 359.
Sources
University of New South Wales, Canberra NZEF Project "New Zeland Anzacs in ther Great War 1914-1918" at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=216603; Birth, Death and Marriage Historical Records at https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz; Ancestry.com.au at http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=allgs&gss=sfs63_home&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=john&gsfn_x=1&gsln=riddell&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cpxt=1&cp=14&catbucket=rstp
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Researched and Written by
Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG
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