Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Gavin Kidd, known as Guy, was born on 11 August 1896 at Shag Point, Otago, the younger son of Gavin (Guy) Kidd and his first wife, Annie, née Smith. His older brother, Henry Gordon Kidd, drowned in February 1898, aged 2 years, when he wandered off to the beach at Shag Point. His mother died in July 1898 at Shag Point. Guy was educated at Chamberlain School, South Canterbury, from 1904, leaving in December 1909. Perhaps he was the Gavin Guy Kidd who entered Edendale School in 1909. His father, who had been mining at Shag Point, moved to married Chamberlain in the early 1900s, where he continued to mine and also farmed successfully at Mount Nessing, Albury. In 1903 he married Annie Cooper Irving of Albury. G. Kidd served on the Chamberlain School Committee. Gavin Kidd, Guy’s father, had served in the South African War, as had Guy’s uncles, William Kidd, Thomas Kidd and John (Jack) Kidd. While living at Albury, Gavin Cooper Kidd (by which name he was also known) was listed on the Reserve Roll. Three further uncles of Guy, younger brothers of his father, also served in World War I – Robert (Bob) Kidd, John (Jack) Kidd and David Campbell Kidd; and his cousin, Edward Clarke, served too. Private Guy Kidd, 34693, embarked with the 20th Reinforcements on 7 December 1916. From March 1917, his name appeared on the Active Service List printed regularly in the Temuka Leader . Casualty List issued No. 697, issued in October 1917, reported that he had been wounded and admitted to hospital. It was at this time that his father contributed to the Red Cross Fund. G. Kidd, of Albury, returned home in Draft 211, with over a thousand men aboard, per the “Briton” which was due at Lyttelton in late January 1919. His father died suddenly in May 1934 at a camp where he was mining near Cromwell, and was buried at Timaru. The younger Guy married Catherine Mary Chapman in November 1934. They lived in various parts of Canterbury and Guy engaged in farming or labouring work. Catherine died in 1950 aged 54 years and was buried in Christchurch. Gavin Kidd died on 24 February 1971, aged 74 years, and was buried in the Marsden Valley Cemetery, a services stone marking his grave.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [12 September 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [12 September 2020]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch) [12 September 2020]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [13 September 2020]; Marsden Valley Cemetery headstone transcription [12 September 2020]; Marsden Valley Cemetery burial record (Nelson City Council) [12 September 2020]; Evening Star, 16 February 1898, 20 October 1917, 29 May 1934, Otago Daily Times, 16 February 1898, 25 August 1923, South Canterbury Times, 22 March 1900, Timaru Herald, 22 March 1900, 10 October 1907, 1 & 23 October 1917, 25 January 1919, Temuka Leader, 3 March 1917, Press, 25 August 1923, Cromwell Argus, 4 June 1934, Alexandra Herald, 6 June 1934 (Papers Past) [08 September 2020]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.