NEILSON, James Albert
(Service number 4/808)
| First Rank | Sapper | Last Rank | Sapper |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 10 January 1891 | Place of Birth | Dunedin |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 17 April 1915 | Age | 24 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 33 Dee St, Timaru | ||
| Occupation | Cycle mechanic | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | single | ||
| Next of Kin | Robert Neilson (father), Queens Drive, Musselburgh, Dunedin | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | 4th Reinforcements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | NZ Field Engineers | ||
| Date | 17 April 1915 | ||
| Transport | Willochra or Knight Templar or Waitomo | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Gallipoli |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Gallipoli | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal, Victory Medal, 1914-1915 Star | ||
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 | 6 July 1964 | Age | 73 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | |||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
James Albert Neilson was born in Dunedin 10 January 1891, the son of Robert Neilson and Eliza (nee Cuttle) of Queen’s Drive, Musselburgh.
James was a cycle mechanic upon enlistment, living at 33 Dee St, Timaru and working for Brehaut Bros, Timaru. He was described as 5t 9in, 140lbs with fair hair, grey eyes and dark brown hair, and Anglican. He was attested as a sapper with 4th Reinforcements NZ Field Engineers, embarking at Wellington 17 April 1915 bound for Gallipoli. He was discharged permanently unfit for further war service in December 1915, suffering from debility and cardiac irregularity after approximately eight months service overseas. He had served 1 year 107 days in total and was awarded the British War Medal, Victory Medal and 1914-1915 Star for his service.
Bert Neilson continued to work as a cycle mechanic after the war. He married Idalene Bell Craigie on 28 May 1917, in Dunedin, and the couple had five children born in Timaru: Tom, Dorothy Vera, Roma Eileen, Joyce Isobel, and Robert John. He died in Timaru 6 July 1964.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database [August 2021]; Assorted records at Ancestry.com [August 2021]; NZBMD; Wilson Collection
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Carol Bell, 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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