Profile

KILWORTH, Robert Clarence
(Service number 15916)

Aliases
First Rank Rifleman Last Rank Rifleman

Birth

Date 17 June 1895 Place of Birth Waimate

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment Massey Street, Waimate
Occupation Printer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status
Next of Kin Mrs J. KILWORTH (mother), Massey Street, Waimate
Religion Church of England
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Rifle Brigade
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 6th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, G Company
Date 26 July 1916
Transport Waitemata or Ulimaroa
Embarked From Destination
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals
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 Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

June 1917 serious gunshot wounds to face & nose. Treated at the Queen’s Hospital, “Frognal”, Sidcup. .

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 30 December 1937 Age 42 years
Place of Death Waimate
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Waimate Old Cemetery
Memorial Reference Plot 108
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Robert Clarence Kilworth was born on 15 May 1895 at Waimate, the sixth and youngest son of George and Jessie (née Hart) Kilworth. He was a printer residing at home at Waimate when he enlisted. R. C. Killworth [sic] and nine other Waimate men, two from Willowbridge and one from St Andrews, who were joining the 15th Reinforcements, were farewelled at the railway station at noon on 5 April 1916. “The town was beflagged, the school children paraded, and the two bands marched the squad of enlisters to the railway steps, where Mrs Francis, the Mayoress, Dr. Hayes, deputy-Mayor, and Borough Councillors were present to meet them.” Later on 5 April 1916, the South Canterbury quota for the 15th Reinforcements left by the express for the military camps, the Infantry – including R. C. Killworth [sic], Waimate - proceeding to Trentham. Before departing Timaru, the men were entertained by the Ladies’ Patriotic Committee at luncheon in the Stafford Tea Rooms. Falling in at the Drill Shed at 3pm, they were addressed by the Mayor, Mr Craigie, M.P., and the Rev. Dean Tubman. The 2nd South Canterbury Regimental Band was in attendance, and the High School Cadets and the Honorary Territorials formed a cordon at the railway station.

At Trentham in May 1916, Robert Kilworth was one of five Waimate boys who occupied Hut 123 – ‘There’s Kilworth, better known as “Curly,” Who’s chief objection is rising early; But we guess this is a bit of a sham For we know he’s the right sort of man.’ [Waimate Daily Advertiser, 12 May 1916.] In June 1917 Rifleman F. C. Kilworth was seriously wounded, suffering gunshot wounds to his face and nose. He was treated at the Queen’s Hospital, “Frognal”, Sidcup. It was April 1919 when he returned to New Zealand per the Tainui.

Robert died on 30 December 1937 at Waimate, age 42 years, his death being attributed to his war injuries. He was accorded a military funeral. His five brothers were pall-bearers as he was laid to rest in the local cemetery. His brother, Frederick Harvey Kilworth also served in World War I, and another, Edward William Kilworth, enlisted.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [12 August 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [12 August 2020]; Waimate Cemetery headstone image & record (Waimate District Council) [13 August 2020]; Timaru Herald, 5 April 1916, 23 June 1917, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 5 April 1916, 12 May 1916, 26 June 1917, 7 & 18 July 1917(Papers Past) [03 & 13 August 2020]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 Logo. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.

Tell us more

Do you have information that could be added to this story? Or related images that you are happy to share? Submit them here!

Your Details
Veteran Details
- you may attach an image or document up to 10MB