Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John Alexander Mackenzie was born on 23 December 1880 at Outram, the second son of John Campbell and Jessie Annie (née Campbell) Mackenzie. Young John started his schooling at Outram and transferred to Lumsden at the age of nine. In 1901 he entered Invercargill Missle School. As a youth he was living with the family at Queenstown where he joined the Rifle Volunteers and showed great aptitude. His father, who died at Gore in 1911, was a police sergeant and was stationed in various parts of Otago and Southland. In February 1914, J. A. Mackenzie was elected to the Waimate Winter Show Society committee; in April 1914 he was elected secretary to Waimate’s Zealandia Football Club; and in June 1914 he was elected to the Waimate A. and P. Association’s committee. Come August and war had broken out. There among the Mounted Volunteers for Waimate’s quota was J. A. Mackenzie, the manager of National Mortgage at Waimate. He was accepted in the Expeditionary Force, with the rank of Captain in the Southland Infantry. On 19 August, the eve of his departure from Waimate, he was farewelled, with toasts, songs and recitations. At a meeting at Waimate in July 1915 – possibly of the Waimate Automobile Association, it was reported that sixteen members were absent with the Expeditionary Forces, J. A. Mackenzie being one of those at the front. Captain J. A. Mackenzie was “one of our members who have offered their services and are so nobly upholding the honour of the British Empire and flag”, recorded the Waimate Caledonian Society at its annual meeting in September 1915. They were wished God speed and a safe return. Mackenzie had a varied war experience and earned promotions in the field. In July 1918, Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Mackenzie, 8/1012, Otago Regiment, was mentioned for valuable services in connection with the war and was honoured as a C.M.G – Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George. Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Mackenzie returned home in command of the Arawa’s draft in October 1919. He had served with distinction overseas for more than five years. Back home, he soon resumed his employment with National Mortgage, before moving into teaching. He married Laura McQueen in 1929. His brother, Hector Campbell Mackenzie, also served in World War I. (See newspaper extracts attached.) .

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [27 October 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [01 November 2020]; School Admission record (Dunedin Branch NZSG) [01 November 2020]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery headstone transcription [01 November 2020]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery burial record (Christchurch City Council) [01 November 2020]; Otago Daily Times, 30 December 1880, 26 December 1916, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 9 February 1914, 12 & 20 August 1914, 24 July 1915, 30 September 1915, Timaru Herald, 16 April 1914, 13 May 1914, 15 June 1914, 30 October 1919, 30 January 1920, Southland Times, 31 July 1915, 20 March 1916, 4 November 1916, 4 July 1917, 27 July 1918, 1 August 1918, 20 November 1919, Press, 13 September 1916, 28 January 1920, Lake Wakatip Mail, 30 July 1918, Evening Post, 28 October 1919, NZ Times, 29 October 1919, Auckland Star, 17 November 1919 (Papers Past) [29 October 2020; 01 November 2020]

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

TS