Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Francis was born at Rushcutters Bay, Sydney, Australia, on 1 December 1893, son of John (1854-1934) and Mary (1866-1934, nee O’Neil) Dwyer. His parents had come out from Ireland around 1887 and had settled on a small block at Arowhenua, but later moved into Temuka, where they lived on the corner of Guise and Denmark Streets. Francis’ mother Mary was a registered midwife and used their home as a maternity unit. Francis was employed as a Railway Fireman when he enlisted at Wellington on 4 January 1917, and gave his address as 8 The Terrace, Wellington. Previous to this, in 1914, he had been employed as a Fireman at Bennett’s Railway Station, Canterbury. His enlistment papers described him as being aged 23 years, single, of the Catholic faith, 5 foot 5 ¼ inches tall, weighing 152 pounds, of fresh complexion, fair hair, grey eyes and his chest measuring 34-38 inches. He nominated Mrs J Dwyer, his mother of Temuka, as his next of kin. Posted to the NZ Rifle Brigade, G Company, he left with the 24th Reinforcements from Wellington aboard HMNZT81 (SS Devon) on 5 April 1917, arriving at Devonport, Devon, England, on 10 June. Further training followed at Sling Camp before he left for France on 6 July, where he joined A Company, NZ Rifle Brigade. From 28 September to 5 October 1917, Francis attended a course at the Brigade School. Returning to his unit they were heavily involved in the first battle of Passchendaele. On 12 October 1917 he was admitted to the Field Ambulance with a gunshot wound to his left thigh, transferred to NZ General Hospital at Brockenhurst, England, on 22 October. He was eventually discharged from Brockenhurst on 17 February 1918 to convalesce at Codford. On 15 May 1918 he was sent back to France as a reinforcement and on 6 July was transferred to A Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd NZ Rifle Brigade. In September 1918 his new unit was in the hotly contested Bapume area, and from 12 to 14 September, were heavily engaged in the battle of Havrincourt, attacking the Trescault Spur. On 12 September he was again wounded for the second time, and admitted to the 3rd Stationary Hospital with gunshot wounds to his neck and right shoulder. Transfer followed on 15 September to No2 NZ General Hospital at Walton, England. On 1 October he was transferred again to the Convalescence Hospital at Codford, where he stayed until 10 October when he was given some leave. On 28 November he was posted to the Reserves, NZ Rifle Brigade at Brockton. He remained there until 17 February 1919, when he boarding the SS Maunganui at Liverpool for his return to New Zealand, arriving at Dunedin on 21 June 1919. Having served a total of 2 years and 199 days in uniform, he was discharged from the army on 21 July 1919. For this service he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. After returning to Temuka, on Thursday 7 August 1919, a presentation and social evening was held in his honour at the Arowhenua Maori Hall. In 1922 Francis married Rhoda May Kennedy (1891-1963), and they were to have three children: Betty, Dawn Patricia and Thomas Michael. In 1928 they were living at 36 Caledonian Road, Christchurch, where he was employed as a labourer, and from 1935 to 1938, was at 1 Grafton Street, Christchurch. Around about this time (circa 1935) it appears that the marriage broke up, and Rhoda continued to remain in Christchurch. Francis died 5 February 1945, and is buried in the Temuka Cemetery along with his brother William Edward (1895-1945) who died less than a month earlier after accidentally swallowing poison (disinfectant). Another brother, Corporal Joseph Patrick Dwyer (service no. 14082, NZ Rifle Brigade), also served overseas during the period 1916 to 1919.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [4 May 2016]; 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=72689; Assorted records from Ancestry.com [accessed 2016]; The Official History of the NZ Rifle Brigade at http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-NZRi.html; SCRoll web submission from A Toledo, 4 May 2016; Timaru District Council cemetery records avaialble at https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services/community-and-culture/cemeteries/cemetery-search [accessed August 2016]; The Timaru Herald 30 October 1917 p5, 26 September 1918 p5, 16 June 1919 p5, 23 July 1919 p1, and the Dominion 4 January 1917 p5, courtesy of Papers Past at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz [accessed August 2016]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Tony Rippin, South Canterbury Museum; Ted Hanson, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.