WALLACE, Robert John
(Service number 13488)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 17 January 1894 | Place of Birth | Londonderry, Ireland |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Temuka | ||
| Occupation | Farm labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 8th Mounted Rifles | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs S. WALLACE (mother), Temuka | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 13th Reinforcements, J Company | ||
| Date | 27 May 1916 | ||
| Transport | Tofua | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
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 | 29 January 1985 | Age | 91 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | |||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Havelock North Cemetery (ashes) | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Robert John Wallace was born on 17 January 1894 at Londonderry, Ireland, probably the oldest son of Samuel and Rachel Wallace. In 1901, Samuel and Rachel, with four children –Robert, Samuel, Nancy and Harry – were living in Fulham, London. The family arrived in New Zealand in 1907 and resided at Winchester.
Private R. J. Wallace embarked with the 13th Reinforcements at Wellington on 27 May 1916. 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. A large crowd was expected at Temuka to meet them and the Temuka Band would be in attendance. Despite the very wet weather, a large crowd did assemble at the Temuka railway station. The train was late and the band played some selections to pass the time. The mayor said that “Temuka was proud to welcome the men back, and best thanks were due to the soldiers for what they had done for us. He trusted that they would be soon restored to health and strength.”
Robert John Wallace married Ruby Wright in 1920. He died on 29 January 1985, aged 91 years, and was buried (ashes) in Havelock North Cemetery. Ruby had died in 1940. Robert’s brother Samuel Wallace was reported missing on 27 September 1916 and then declared killed in action.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [11 January 2021]; 1901 England census return (ancestry.com.au) [13 January 2021]; Havelock North Cemetery burial record (Hastings District Council) [17 January 2021]; Press, 15 December 1916, Timaru Herald, 18 & 20 March 1918, Temuka Leader, 19 & 21 March 1918 (Papers Past) [07 & 09 April 2015; January 2021]
External Links
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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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