McLEOD, James Neil
(Service number 7/985)
| First Rank | Trooper | Last Rank | Trooper |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 9 February 1896 | Place of Birth | Temuka |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Ashwick Station, Fairlie | ||
| Occupation | Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs W. Radford (sister), Temuka | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | 4th Reinforcements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterbury Mounted Rifles | ||
| Date | 17 April 1915 | ||
| Transport | Willochra or Knight Templar or Waitomo | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Mounted Rifles | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
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 |
Death
| Date | 6 October 1979 | Age | 83 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Temuka Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
James Neil McLeod, born on 9 February 1896 at Temuka, was the older son of William McLeod and his second wife, Marion née Cathro. His father’s first wife had died in 1891, and Marion died in November 1902 at Fairlie, leaving her two young sons and an infant daughter. In February 1903, at the Fairlie Magistrate’s Court, orders were made for the adoption of two children of Wm McLeod. No further action is apparent. William McLeod was employed at Orari Station. James and his brother, William Thomas McLeod, were educated at Fairlie School. Their father died in 1914 and is buried at Temuka with his first wife. Also buried there are Jane (née McLeod) Radford and her husband. Jane who was a daughter of William McLeod by his first marriage, was named by James as his next-of-kin. James was only 19 years old when he embarked in 1915.
Trooper James Neil McLeod was first reported as missing from 28 August 1915, but was subsequently reported as slightly wounded on 30 August at the Dardanelles. James married Kathleen McGillen in 1919. He died 6 October 1979 at Timaru, aged 83 years, and was buried in the Services Section of Temuka Cemetery. His brother William, who also served in World War I, married Kathleen’s sister, Teresa McGillen, although the marriage did not last. Kathleen (Catherine) and Teresa were sisters of John Joseph, William Peter McGillen and Michael McGillen, who all served in World War I. After Kathleen’s death in 1949, James married secondly Maud Mary.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 July 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [01 July 2020]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [01 July 2020]; Timaru Herald, 17 February 1903, Sun, 27 September 1915 (Papers Past) [01 July 2020]; Temuka Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [01 July 2020]
External Links
Related Documents
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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