Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

George Joseph Rush was born on 30 May 1886 in London, England, the fifth son of Joseph George and Mary (deceased) Rush. His father was Joseph George Rush, but his mother was surely Matilda Margaret née Ribbins, whom Joseph had married in 1876. Their first-born, Joseph George James Rush, died at the age of one. George was at home with his father and siblings in 1891 at Lewisham, London, and in 1901 at East Ham, Essex. Matilda had been with Joseph in 1881; she was a patient (married) at the London County Lunatic Asylum, Coulsdon, Surrey, in 1891; and a patient (married) at Cane Hill Hospital, Coulsdon, Surrey in 1939; Matilda died in 1948, aged 94 years. It is probable that George and his siblings were unaware that their mother was hospitalized. In 1891 Joseph Rush had a housekeeper – Florence Strudwick from New South Wales, Australia. By 1901 Florence was recorded as Florence Rush, married, and two more children had been born into the family, and another by 1911.

George married Emily Imelda Kennedy on 1 October 1915 at Methven. Mary Catherine Rush was born on 25 August 1916 at Timaru, followed by Monica Margaret Rush on 3 March 1918 at Timaru. Four more children were born to George and Emily. George Joseph Rush was an electrician residing at 12 Roslyn Terrace, Timaru, when his name was drawn in the Eighth Ballot in June 1917. He enlisted on 25 June 1917 at Timaru, stating that he had been in New Zealand for 11 years. Military Appeal Board sitting at Timaru on 4 July 1918 – “G. J. Rush, Timaru, asked for an extension of time. He was a married man with two children, and having at first been classed C2 he had reason to believe that ho would not be wanted. —Given till September 9.” George named his wife as next-of-kin - Mrs E. I. Rush, 12 Roslyn Terrace, Timaru. He was a member of the South Canterbury quota of the Forty-sixth Reinforcements which left Timaru by the north express on 9 September 1918 after parading at the drill hall. G. J. Rush did not serve overseas.

George and Emily continued to live in Timaru, George practising as an electrician.

“LAKE COLERIDGE POWER.

TIMARU ELECTRICAL DEVELOPMENT. The near advent of Lake Coleridge electrical power has induced the Union Electrical Company to commence business in Timaru. The company have every confidence in the big future of electrical development in the district, and feel that the time is opportune to provide the public with a wider scope of choice for their electrical services. The principals of the company are all practical electrical engineers, and have had long expert and valued experience. Mr G. J. Rush qualified as an electrician with one of the leading London electrical houses. He is well known in Tiinaru as an expert electrician, and was for five years here with Messrs Scott Bros. and the. Borough Council before he resigned to join the present company.” [Timaru Herald, 4 Sep 1919.]

He died on 28 May 1974 at Timaru, aged 88 years, and was buried in the Timaru Cemetery with Emily who had died in 1966. Frederick Joseph Rush (Fred), the elder son of George and Emily, served in World War Two, and their younger son, Leo Patrick Rush, served with K Force.

Sources

Timaru Herald, 7 June 1917, 5 July 1918, 7 September 1918, 4 September 1919 (Papers Past) [08 October 2021; 04 February 2022]; England Birth Index (Free BDM) [04 February 2022]; Timaru & Pleasant Point cemeteries headstone images (Timaru District Council) [01 & 04 February 2022]; England census returns for 1881, 1891, 1901 & 1911 (ancestry.com.au) [01 & 04 February 2022]; NZ Electroal Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [04 February 2022]

External Links

• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.