Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John McQuilkin was born on 9 December 1897 at Geraldine, the eldest son of Joseph Patrick McQuilkin and his wife, Maria Margaret née Kennedy, and a nephew of Edward Daniel Kennedy who served in World War One. Joseph and Maria married in 1895 and soon after settled at Willowby in the Ashburton district where Joseph farmed. Later they moved to Eiffelton. Perhaps Maria returned to her hometown for the birth of her first child. In May 1911 at the inaugural meeting of the Tinwald District Sports Club, J. McQuilkin finished third in the 150 yards Schoolboys’ Race. In April 1943, his daughter Janet was to make her mark in the Ashburton County schools sports.

Having reached twenty years of age, J. McQuilkin, a farmer, Ashburton, handed in his name for enlistment at the Ashburton Defence Office at the beginning of December 1917. His enlistment at Ashburton on 2 February 1918, not two months after his twentieth birthday, was received at the Timaru Defence Office within a few days. He was at the time serving with the 28th Canterbury Regiment. He stood at 6 feet 2 inches, weighed 140 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 35-38 inches. Of pale complexion pale, he had blue eyes and fair hair. His sight, hearing and colour vision were all good, his limbs and chest well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He had had pleuro-pneumonia in 1914. Free from diseases, slight defects and fits, he was in good bodily and mental health, and was classified A. A farmer, single and Roman Catholic, he named his father as next-of-kin – Mr J. McQuilkin, Eiffelton, Ashburton. John’s address was also Eiffelton.

In late April 1918, the men who made up the Ashburton Draft for the Forty-first Reinforcements were entertained at luncheon at the Drill Shed before heading off to camp. The Rev. G. Miller said the County felt very grateful to the men who were leaving to face the foe and even death to protect our shores. The Mayor thanked the recruits on behalf of the town and district. The gathering concluded by singing a verse of the National Anthem. On the march to the station, the recruits were escorted by the Eighth (South Canterbury) Regimental and Salvation Army Bands. A large crowd gathered on the platform to partake in the final farewell, and, as the train steamed out, there was considerable cheering. Among the men comprising the draft was J. McQuilkin. He entered camp on 30 April.

At a farewell social given to Trooper J. McQuilkin, in September 1918 in the Ashburton Catholic schoolroom, the Rev. Dean O’Donnell presented the departing soldier with a leather wallet, on behalf of those present and expressed good wishes for the departing soldier’s future welfare. The evening was taken up with progressive euchre and instrumental and vocal music. Supper was provided and the enjoyable social concluded with the singing of “Auld Lang Syne” and the National Anthem.

Initially posted to the 40th Reinforcements, Private J. McQuilkin had been transferred, on 6 May 1918, to the Mounted Rifles of the 43rd Reinforcements as Trooper. Having been transferred to the 44th Reinforcements in October, he was then granted leave without pay from 11 November 1918 till 11 January 1919. He was in fact demobilized on 18 November 1918, being then described as of good character. John McQuilkin’s time with the forces was rather short and uneventul. He had, however, volunteered to do his bit. In October 1918, J. P. McQuilkin, Eiffelton, contributed £10 to the Red Cross fund.

John McQuilkin married Timaru-born Ethel Kalaugher in 1922. Their daughter, Dorothea (Dorothy) Mary McQuilkin was born 0n 19 July 1928 at Ashburton (of Hinds) and a second daughter, Janet Therese McQuilkin on 17 February 1933 at Hinds. For some years John and Ethel farmed at Winslow, then moved to Hinds in the 1930s and into Tinwald in the 1950s. Sometime after John’s death, Ethel moved into Ashburton. When John’s sister, Kathleen Mary Mc Quilkin, married in October 1939 at Ashburton, it fell to John to escort his sister, his father having died earlier in the year.

Before the Armed Forces Appeal Board sitting at Timaru in April 1943, the appeal of John McQuilkin, farmer, Ashburton, was struck out as he was one of the Reservists found medically unfit. His appeal was lodged by the Director of National Service. In September 1946, his older daughter, Miss Dorothea McQuilkin of Hinds, was a debutante at a ball given by the Governor-General at Government House, Wellington. Mrs John McQuilkin presented her daughter. The engagement of their younger daughter, Janet Therese, was announced in early November 1953. Dorothea Mary Jillings, the elder daughter of John and Ethel, died on 5 June 1959, just 30 years old, and leaving her husband and four little girls. John McQuilkin died on 3 September 1959 at his Tinwald residence. 61 years old, he was survived by his wife Ethel, his younger daughter and six grandchildren, the only boy named John. After a Requiem Mass at the Church of the Holy Name, Ashburton, he was buried in the Ashburton Cemetery alongside his parents and grandparents. John McQuilkin signed his Will on 5 June 1959, appointing his daughter Janet and his two sons-in-law as executors and trustees. He made provision for his wife and, on her death, for his daughters. His trustees were also empowered to carry on his farming business. He especially desired that his son-in-law, Ashley Jillings, be retained a sthe manager of his farming operation. Mrs Ethel McQuilkin, M.B.E., died on 6 July 1976 at Ashburton, aged 77 years, and was buried with John after a Requiem Mass at the church. She was survived by her daugter Janet, her two sons-in-law, seven grandchildren, there now being two grandsons, and great-grandchildren. Janet Therese Daley (née McQuilkin) died on 1 March 2022 at an Auckland rest home. A Memorial Service was to be held at a later date at her home town of Ashburton where her ashes were interred with her mother.

Sources

NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5544 0076419) [02 December 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs); Ashburton Cemetery headstone transcription [27 November 2016]; Ashburton Cemetery burial record (Ashburton District Council) [17 September 2023]; Ashburton Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [2023]; Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [02 December 2016]; Timaru Herald, 4 September 1959 (Timaru District Library) [16 May 2017]; Press, 5 May 1911, 16 October 1918, 16 October 1939, 25 & 28 September 1946, 3 November 1953, 22 June 1959, 7 July 1976, Ashburton Guardian, 4 December 1917, 29 April 1918, 8 September 1918, 20 July 1928, 17 February 1933, 6 & 20 April 1943, Timaru Herald, 6 December 1917, 8 February 1918, 20 April 1943, Sun, 10 September 1918 (Papers Past) [17 & 19 August 2023]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [17 August 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• McQUILKIN John - newspaper clippings (pdf, 91.5 KB updated 20-Sep-2023)

Researched and Written by

Currently Assigned to

TS