Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Charles Wesley Hayes was born on 24 October 1885 at Invercargill, the elder son of Theodore Porter Hayes (Porter) and Elizabeth Florence née Ross. Porter, from Southland, and Elizabeth, of Oamaru, married in 1884 at Oamaru. They lived for a few years at Mabel Bush, Southland, moving in 1887 to Hakataramea where Porter managed Normanvale for upwards of ten years. In 1900 they were at Oamaru and by 1902 at Timaru. In February 1902, Myrtle and Lionel Hayes transferred to Timaru South School, and in 1911 the youngest of the family (Rita Tui Hayes), who was born at Timaru, started at Waimataitai School, transferring to Northcote, Auckland, in 1914. Charles was educated at Oamaru Middle School and later at Teaneraki School near Oamaru. In 1899, Charles Hayes received a special prize for composition at Oamaru Middle School, where his sister Myrtle and brother Lionel were also pupils. The next year the children were at Teaneraki School in North Otago. In 1911, Charles was a salesman, living with his parents at their Avenue Road, Timaru address.

Some information with regard to the enlistment and the service of Charles William Hayes differs between newspaper reports and his personnel file. Perhaps Charles W. Hayes did leave New Zealand by the “Waimana”. He enlisted – as Charles William Hayes – on 13 January 1915 in London. He had served with the South Canterbury Mounted Rifles and Timaru Navals for three years until he shifted away from the district. It was in 1914 that the family moved to Auckland. Charles was a cook, and while it was initially recorded that he was not married, this was amended to married (widower). He named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs P. Hayes, The Nook, Northcote, Auckland. He married Emily Finlayson on 19 September 1916 at St Pancras Registry Office, London. Thereafter she became his next-of-kin. Emily Hayes was later resident in New Zealand.

[Evening Post. 9 March 1915] “LONDON, 19th January. The remaining members of the British section of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who remained behind to clear up affairs at Bulford, leave to-day for Egypt. Lieutenant and Quartermaster May is in command. The names of the men are: — Corporals . . . . . The following seven new members who have recently joined in London are also going: — Privates . . . . . , C. W. Hayes, . . . . .” Driver C. W. Hayes, 5/242B, served with Army Service Corps, Divisional Train. He landed at the Dardanelles on 25 April 1915. [See newspaper attachment.] He describes some of his experiences in communication with friends in New Zealand.

[Auckland Star, 16 September 1915; Press, 17 September 1915] Driver Charles Hayes, of the Army Service Corps, a Timaru boy, who enlisted at Whangarei and left with the Main Expeditionary Force, attached to the 15th North Auckland Company, in the troopship Waimana, and acted as chef, is progressing well in hospital in Egypt, from wounds received at Gallipoli. His parents, Mr and Mrs Porter Hayes, reside in Princes Street, Northcote.

Staff Quarter-Master Sergeant Charles William Hayes died of pneumonia on 16 February 1919 at the Military Hospital, Codford, England, aged 33 years. He was buried at Codford (St Mary) New Churchyard, Wiltshire, his grave marked by a services stone. Over many years, both his wife – “Friends are few since you have gone” - and his family – “The hour I spent with you, dear heart – O, Memory!” - inserted In Memoriam notices in the New Zealand newspapers.

In 1920 the Auckland Police were seeking Mrs Emily Hayes, war widow pensioner, for inquiries made by the Military Authorities re her character. It had been indicated in 1918 that Charles may have committed bigamy in 1916, another woman being listed as his wife on his attestation papers. Charles’ brother, Lionel Ross Hayes, also served in World War One. Elizabeth Hayes died at her Auckland residence in June 1924, and Porter Hayes died at a private hospital in April 1936. They were buried at O’Neill’s Point Cemetery, Takapuna.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [22 June 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [22 June 2023]; School Admission record (Oamaru Branch NZSG) [22 June 2023]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [22 June 2023]; Oamaru Mail, 21 December 1899, Evening Post, 9 March 1915, NZ Herald, 15 September 1915, 26 February 1919, 16 February 1921, 24 February 1922, 16 September 1927, 16 February 1931, Auckland Star, 16 September 1915, 15 February 1930, 16 February 1931, 25 June 1932, 3 April 1936, Press, 17 September 1915 (Papers Past) [22 June 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• HAYES Charles Wesley - newspaper clippings (pdf, 434.9 KB updated 26-Jul-2023)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, South Canterbruy Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.