GRIFFIN, Horace Fennel
(Service number 24/2209)
| First Rank | Last Rank | Corporal |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 20 February 1890 | Place of Birth | Whangaparāoa, Auckland |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 14 December 1915 | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | C/- Bank of New Zealand, Mangaweka | ||
| Occupation | Bank Clerk, BNZ Mangaweka | ||
| Previous Military Experience | Dannevirke Volunteers, 9/10 months prior to Territorial system; National Reserve Group 7B | ||
| Marital Status | |||
| Next of Kin | Reverend J.W. Griffin (father), Waitara | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 11th Reinforcements, 2nd Battalion, F Company | ||
| Date | |||
| Transport | HMNZT 49 Tahiti or HMNZT 50 Maunganui | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | 2nd Battalion, 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Egytian 1916, Egyptian Expeditionary Force 1916, Western European 1916-1917 (Messines) | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
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 | 7 June 1917 | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | |||
| Cause | Killed in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | |||
| New Zealand Memorials | Memorial plaque, Bank of New Zealand (Officers of the BNZ who laid down their lives in the Great War AD 1914-1919), BNZ Arcade, Wellington, New Zealand | ||
Biographical Notes
Horace Fennel Griffin was the son of Rev J W Griffin and prior to the war had some military experience with the Dannevirke Volunteers and National Reserve.
Horace enlisted and began service in New Zealand on 14 December 1915. Posted to F Company, 11th Reinforcements, Horace was promoted to Lance Corporal on 25 January 1916, then again to Corporal on 1 April(?). After his initial training he proceeded overseas on 2 April 1916. After arriving in Alexandra Horace reverted to the rank of Private on 6 May 1916. On 20 May he embarked for France with his unit, joining the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade (NZRB) Base Depot at Etaples. On 28 May he had been promoted to Temporary Corporal. After further training he was posted to 2nd Battalion, 3rd NZRB, and was posted to B Company on 9 August, and relinquished his temporary rank as was often normal when joining a unit in the field. Two months later was promoted again, to Lance Corporal, on 9 October 1916.
Like many Horace had a little time away from his unit with illness. On 1 April 1917 he was admitted sick, with measles, passing through No.3 NZ Field Hospital and Northumbrian[?] Casualty Clearing Station (CCS). The following day he was transferred to No.7 General Hospital. After recovering he returned to his unit in the field on 8 Mayn 1917.
In December Horace was admonished for disobedience while on active service. The notation is difficult to read, but it appears he was disobeying trench order relating to the wearing of boots - possibly for resting with his boots off? Whatever the minor infraction, it seems it didn't affect his promotion prospects as, on 10 May 1917, Horace was promoted again to Corporal. However, he held the rank for only around five or so weeks as he was killed in action at Messines on 7 June 1917. His service record noted that he was initially buried in the field, in a shell hole.
Horace Griffin was listed in the Temuka Roll of honours in the Temuka Leader on 18 August (p1) and again on 29 December (p3). The Manawatu Standard of 29 June 1917, (p5) noted that the son of Rev Griffin, Horace, was killed in action and had been well-known in Dannevirke, being employed by BNZ. His connection to Temuka has not yet been established, but perhaps related to working for BNZ in the town.
The Manawatu Standard report also reported that Horace’s brother, George Griffin, had also had a foot blown off and was due to return to New Zealand.
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Researched and Written by
Tony Rippin, South Canterbury Museum
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