Profile

ST JOHN, Paul
(Service number 55561)

Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank

Birth

Date 22 June 1877 Place of Birth London, England

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment North Street, Timaru
Occupation Tailor's cutter
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Married. Two children
Next of Kin Mrs Louise ST JOHN (wife), North Street, Timaru
Religion Church of England
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation
Unit, Squadron, or Ship New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Date 15 August 1917
Transport Ruahine
Embarked From Destination Glasgow, Scotland
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

Post-war Occupations

Furrier

Death

Date 25 June 1939 Age 62 years
Place of Death Christchurch
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Avonside Cemetery, Christchurch
Memorial Reference Row O
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Paul St John was born on 22 June 1877 in London, the son of Albert and Mary St John who were both deceased when Paul enlisted in New Zealand in 1917. Paul had been in New Zealand for 17 years. He married Louise Bernhardson on 2 April 1899 in London. Their daughter, Louise St John was born on 29 December 1899 in London. In 1900, Paul, his wife Louise, and his daughter Louise departed from Antwerp, arriving in Sydney, Australia on 10 September. By 1902 the family was in New Zealand, their son Edmond born on 17 August 1902 at Invercargill. The family home in Christchurch was completely destroyed by fire in late March 1908. In mid June 1914 young Edmund entered Timaru Main School from Christchurch, leaving for High School at the end of 1915. His sister Louise St John enjoyed success at the Timaru Girls’ High Schoo and in higher educationl.

Paul St John, a tailor of Timaru, registered at the Timaru Defence Office on 7 April 1917, his being the only registration on that day. Private P. St John embarked with the 29th Reinforcements on 15 August 1917, destined for Glasgow, Scotland. He returned to New Zealand in March 1918. The South Canterbury men came from Lyttelton by special train expected mid afternoon on the 19th March.

Paul St John died on 25 June 1939 at his Christchurch residence and was buried in the Avonside Anglican Cemetery.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [10 January 2021]; School Admission records (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [12 January 2021]; Avonside Cemetery headstone transcription [12 January 2021]; Timaru Herald, 9 April 1917, 18 March 1918 (Papers Past) [09 April 2015; 17 January 2021]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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