Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

David Reid Wishart was born on 24 August 1896 at Dunedin, the third son of David Wishart and his second wife, Isabella née Begg. David, senior, had married Janet Begg (Isabella’s sister?) in 1885 at Dunedin. Janet died the following year. In 1887 at Dunedin, he married Isabella Begg. David, Janet and Isabella were all born in Scotland. Young David was educated at High Street Dunedin School, with a month in 1907 at Sutton School in the Strath Taieri. At the age of thirteen he went on to High School.

The Waimate men for the 21st Reinforcements, D. R. Wishart one of them, were “played down” to the railway station by the Brass Band and farewelled on 20 September 1916. Addressing those gathered, the deputy-Mayor said: “You are all well aware that this is the 21st occasion that we have assembled here on a similar errand — an errand that no doubt none of us likes, and although we are perhaps not at all sanguine about it, we hope and trust that this will be the last and that the 21st reinforcements will never have to leave New Zealand.” And he wished Godspeed and a safe and speedy return to the departing soldiers. Having been called up, David Wishart enlisted on 22 September 1916 at Featherson. He was already serving with D Company 2 South Canterbury Regiment. A farm hand at Waihaorunga, single and Presbyterian, he named his father as next-of-kin – D. Wishart, Grant Street, Dunedin.

Trooper D. R. Wishart left with the Mounted Rifles Brigade of the 22nd Reinforcements. Embarking at Wellington per the “Moeraki” on 15 February 1917, he transferred to the “Boora” at Melbourne for Suez, Egypt. In the casualty list issued on 6 December 1917, D. R. Reid, 35778, Camel Corps, was listed as wounded on 28 November. In the list issued on 11 April 1918, he was reported as wounded and admitted to hospital. It was 6 August 1919 that the “Uimaroa” was due at Auckland with troops from Egypt, one of them D. R. Wishart, 35778. All his service was in Egypt, and, discharged on 9 September 1919, he was awarded the British War Meal and the Victory Medal. From October 1916, the name of D. R. Wishart appeared regularly on the Waimate Daily Advertiser Roll of Honour under the sub-title of Answered the Call.

David Reid Wishart married Rosa Sophia Cocks in 1924 at Dunedin. He died on 13 July 1974 at his Dunedin residence (88 York Place), aged 77 years, and was cremated, his ashes being interred at Andersons Bay Cemetery, where a services plaque marks the plot. When Rosa died in 1979, her ashes were interred there too.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museumm Cenotaph Database [07 July 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [08 July 2022]; School Admissio records (Dunedin Branch NZSG) [18 July 2022]; Andersons Bay Dunedin cremation & burial records, & plaque image (Dunedin City Council) [18 July 202]; Waimate Daily Advertiser, 20 September 1916, 30 May 1918, NZ Times, 7 December 1917, 31 July 1919, Evening Post, 11 April 1918 (Papers Past) [18 September 2019; 18 July 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, Teresa Scott, South Canterbury Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.