Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Thomas Victor Casey, known as Victor, was the son of Richard and Margaret (née Leary) Casey and thus thought to be a nephew of John O'Leary who was killed in action in 1915 at Gallipoli while serving with the Australian Forces. Richard Casey was born in Ireland and Margaret was of Irish descent. Victor was educated successively at Waitohi, Chamberlain and Albury schools before going out to work in 1910 at the age of 13½ years. Having been was drawn in the ballot and called up, twenty year old Victor Casey, a ploughman at Chamberlain, Albury, he enlisted on 11 October 1917 at Timaru. In February 1918 he appealed, stating that “he did all the contracting for the farmers in the district.” He had four brothers but none were serving. He was allowed until 26 May. Victor was single, Roman Catholic, living at Albury and working as a farm labourer. He stood at 5 feet 9 inches, weight 148 pounds and had a chest expansion of 35-38½ inches. Overall he was in good shape, suffering only from slight varicocele and slight varicose veins. At the time he was still serving with the 8th Regiment of the Territorials. In early 1916 he and two other locals had incurred a 5 shilling fine and court costs under the Defence Act, when they were charged for failing to pay fines imposed by the officer in command in camp at Timaru. Victor left home for camp on 20 May 1918 and was initially posted to A Company of the 41st Reinforcements, and a week later transferred as a trooper to the Mounted Rifles of the 44th Reinforcements. After three months he was again transferred, this time, to the 47th Reinforcements Specials. He rejoined the Mounted Rifles in November 1918 and remained there until he was granted leave without pay until he received orders on demobilisation. In 1942 Victor T. Casey of Albury was drawn in the ballot of Canterbury “married men from 41 to 45” for World War Two. Victor had married Elizabeth Agnes O’Reilly in 1929. Thereafter the family lived at Albury where he continued to farm. In August 1919 he applied to the Roads Board for protective works and a bridge at the creek crossing near his stable. Eighteen months later he inquired as to what was being done regarding the bridging of new channels of the little Opawa River. His mother had died in 1921 and in 1928 the executors of her will transferred a 211 acre section at Chamberlain to Victor. He died on 26 January 1968, aged 70 years, his wife surviving him by 18 years. Victor and Elizabeth are buried in the Albury Cemetery.

Sources

N Z Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5530 0023513) [25 January 2019]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [22 January 2019]; school Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [25 January 2019]; Albury Cemetery headstone transcription (South Canterbury Branch NZSG cemetery records) [25 January 2019], Albury Cemetery headstone image (Find a Grave) [25 January 2019]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [25 January 2019]; Timaru Herald, 19 January 1916, 2 October 1917, 27 February 1918, 4 August 1919, 7 August 1920, Press, 24 January 1928, 23 December 1942 (Papers Past) [25 January 2019]

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