CORMACK, Robert Leith
(Service number 55586)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 2 August 1889 | Place of Birth | Latheron, Cithness, Scotland |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 3 May 1917 | Age | 27 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | C/o W. J. Clarke, Levels | ||
| Occupation | Engine driver | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Miss A. MILLER (cousin), Pleasant Point, South Canterbury | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 30th Reinforcements, E Company | ||
| Date | 13 October 1917 | ||
| Transport | Arawa | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | Liverpool, Merseyside, England | |
| 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 | 10 February 1953 | Age | 63 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | |||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Timaru Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Robert Leith Cormack was born on 2 August 1889 at Latheron, Caithness, Scotland, the son of George and Robertina (née Leith) Cormack. In 1891 and 1901 young Robert was at home with the family at Latheron, in 1901 a scholar. He came to New Zealand in about 1909, and it was at Timaru that he enlisted on 3 May 1917. He was an engine driver for W. J. Clarke, Levels and named a cousin as next-of-kin – Miss A. Miller, Pleasant Point, South Canterbury.
Private R. L. Cormack embarked with the 30th Reinforcements on 13 October 1917, leaving by the “Arawa” for Liverpool, England. R. L. Cormack returned to New Zealand by the “Somerset” which was due at Lyttelton about 12 August 1919. In 1921 he married Annabella Craig. He died on 10 February 1953, aged 63 years, and was buried in the Timaru Cemetery, Annabella with him more than 23 years later. Robert’s brother, William Leith Cormack, served with the UK forces in the war.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [18 March 2022]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [19 March 2022]; Timaru Herald, 8 August 1919 (Papers Past) [16 March 2022]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
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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