Profile

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

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

Discharge

Date 6 June 1919 Reason End of war

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Station hand & watchman

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

External Links

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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