Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Alexander Donald Matheson was born on 22 April 1884 at Little Garve, Contin, Ross-shire, Scotland, the third son of John Matheson and Annie née Matheson. John Matheson died at Alness in 1913. In 1891 Alexander was at Contin with his paternal grandparents (John Matheson and Catherine MacLennan). Having come to New Zealand, he was a shepherd on the Otaio Estate, South Canterbury in 1908 and at Fairlie in 1911. By 1914 he had moved to Stonyhurst near Christchurch where he was a shepherd for Sir George Clifford. His brother Angus who was still at home in Scotland in 1901 and came to New Zealand in about 1904, was a shepherd for the New Zealand Refrigeration Company at Hawarden in 1911 and 1914.

Alexander Donald Matheson was medically examined on 13 February 1915. He was 5 feet 4½ inches tall, weighed 145 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 33-36 inches. His complexion was fresh, his eyes blue and his hair dark brown. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal; his limbs and chest well formed. Free from diseases, vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health, he was passed fit. He had a scar on his right thigh and a mole on the left side of his neck. When he enlisted on 13 February 1915 at Trentham, he was a shepherd at Stonyhurst near Christchurch. Single and Presbyterian, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Annie Matheson, Boath, Alness Post Office, Ross-Shire, Scotland. Matheson was posted Trooper to the 5th Squadron, then on 3 October 1915 to the 8th Squadron of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, and on 30 November 1915 to the Machine Gun Section of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.

The members of the Fifth Reinforcement Contingent who had been in strenuous training at Trentham from February till 4 June, were placed upon a further test on Friday, when they were marched out of camp for all day and night operations, concluding with an attack at dawn. “The day was devoted to tactical exercises, and at sundown the forces bivouacked. The sun had no sooner gone down than the atmosphere became exceedingly chilly, and as the night wore on the cold became more intense. The prospect of becoming frozen, however, had no terrors for the fifth reinforcements.” The Fifth Reinforcements, who had distinguished themselves by remarkable successes in their shooting tests, were due to move. According to the military authorities at Trentham, they were ready to go straight into the firing line. They had been put through the full course of hard training, the recruits who showed any signs of physical weakness had been weeded out, and the men who remained were hard, disciplined, and effective. The 5th Reinforcements of the Zealand Expeditionary Forces were reviewed by his Excellency the Governor at Trentham on 9 June. The few spectators present “witnessed a review which, for military precision and smartness, must hold a leading place in the record of such events in New Zealand.” There were memorable street scenes in Wellington on 12 June, when the Fifth Reinforcements and the No. 2 Stationary Hospital made their first and only appearance. “The crowd at times was extremely enthusiastic and cheered the troops again and again. The splendid stature of the men was favourably commented upon all along the line, and a finer body it would be difficult to find anywhere.” “The Fifth Reinforcements do credit to themselves and to everybody who has been associated with them in their training period.”

Trooper A. D. Matheson embarked on 13 June 1915 for Suez, Egypt with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles of the 5th Reinforcements. Having arrived and been posted to the 8th Mounted Rifles on 3 October 1915 at Mudros, he was transferred to the Machine Gun List on 30 November 1915 at Anzac. After disembarking at Alexandria on 26 December 1915, he left Zeitoun for Canal on 21 January 1916. He was transferred to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Machine Gun Squadron on 18 July 1916. Through August-October 1916 he was in Egypt. On 14 June 1917 Trooper Matheson was transferred to the New Zealand Section of the Anzac Provost Corps and attached for duty, being appointed Lance Corporal. As of 31 July, he was in Egypt.

Lance Corporal Matheson was transferred to the Training Regiment on 21 February 1918 and posted there from the NZ Mounted Rifles Brigade two days later. After being detached to the Rest Camp at Port Said on 11 April 1918, he rejoined his unit on 28 May. And it was on 28 May 1918 at Moascar, that he relinquished the appointment of Lance Corporal on transferring to the New Zealand Machine Gun Squadron (Training Regiment). Just over a week later he was transferred and posted to Strength with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. Alexander D. Matheson marched out to the Training Regiment for furlough in the UK on 28 November 1918. It was actually on 4 December 1918 per the “Caledonia” that he embarked at Alexandria for the United Kingdom, via Marseilles, on furlough. As of 22 February 1919, he was at the Canterbury Provincial Depot at Sling Camp awaiting a ship home. At the Medical Examination at Sling on 2 March 1919, Matheson was assessed as in good health and physical condition, with no impairment, and he was retained in England for evacuation to New Zealand. He returned to New Zealand per the “Kia Ora”, leaving on 27 March 1919. There was no evidence of problems at the medical examination held on the “Kia Ora” on 4 May. Draft 242 of nearly 1000 returning soldiers was due to reach Lyttelton on 7 May. She battled heavy seas approaching Lyttelton and would be quarantined for 24 hours because of a case of influenza on board and several cases of mumps. It was at 8 o’clock on the morning of 9 May that the men would arrive at Christchurch railway station, where a raw morning but a warm welcome greeted them. “. . . . the men were a very happy crowd, with practically no complaints whatever to make, and they said the trip had been a very pleasant one.” “The happiest and most contented body of men who have ever returned to New Zealand” was the general verdict of all who came in contact with the Kia Ora's men.

Sadly, what should have been a happy day (9 May 1919) for Alexander turned to a very sad one for his relatives and friends. Alexander Donald Matheson died at Belfast, Christchurch on 9 May 1919, aged 35 years. His death was the result of a tragic accident when he fell from a horse. On returning from driving with his uncle, with whom he resided on the Belfast Road, the horse was taken out of the vehicle and left in the yard. Alexander who was riding the young and restive horse, lost the reins, and in an endeavour to regain them fell and broke his neck. “The deceased was a returned soldier, having only arrived that day by the Kia Ora. His people live in Scotland.” He was buried in the Services section of Sydenham Cemetery, where a Services stone marks his grave. So, there was no opportunity for discharge from the Forces. His was a war casualty, recorded as such in the casualty list issued on 13 May 1919. The uncle with whom Alexander Donald was residing was Malcolm Matheson, a brother either of Alexander’s father or of his mother. He was born in 1862 at Dingwall (near Contin), Ross-shire. Malcolm was in New Zealand by 1896 and resided at Temuka from about 1999 till about 1906 when he and his wife Jane and family moved to Belfast. Their first child was born and died at Temuka. All three daughters predeceased their parents, the three sons surviving. Their eldest son (John Maxwell William Matheson), a cousin of Alexander Donald, served in World War Two.

Alexander (7/1098 Alexander Donald Matheson, formerly of Ardno, Five Rivers, Southland, NZ, shepherd in New Zealand bur now Trooper in 1st NZ M. G. Sqdn) had signed an NZEF Will on 27 August 1918, bequeathing all his estate to his mother, Mrs Annie Matheson, at Alness. He appointed his uncle – Murdo Matheson, farmer, Ardno, Five Rivers, Southland, New Zealand – as executor. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal, which were to go to Mrs Annie Matheson, then of Blairford, Avoch (Ross-shire). His next-of-kin, Mrs A. Matheson, Blairford, Avoch, acknowledged receipt of the Memorial Plaque for 7/1098 Alexander D. Matheson. It had been posted on 12 October 1922, and the receipt was received on 7 September 1923. His uncle, Murdo Matheson, renounced his right and title to probate and execution of said Will. The Public Trust undertook administration on 11 March 1920. The property amounted to £220.16.9 in the Post Office Savings Bank. Murdo who was probably a brother of Alexander’s father John, was born in 1857 at Urray (near Contin), Ross-shire. He came to New Zealand about 1882 and was employed firstly in the Mackenzie Country then at Claremont near Timaru and in other parts of South Canterbury before moving to Mataura then Five Rivers. Murdo married Ann McDonald (of Scotland) in 1890; they had two daughters (both births registered at Temuka). Donald Stewart who was born in Scotland, served with the New Zealand Forces in World War One and died of wounds in France in 1916, was a nephew of Murdo Maheson and a cousin of Alexander Donald, Angus and James Matheson and their siblings.

Alexander Donald Matheson’s brother Angus Matheson who served with the New Zealand Forces and also named his mother as next-of-kin was killed in action at Bellevue Spur, Passchendaele on 12 October 1917, aged 31 years. He had been the sixth son of their widowed mother to join the Colours – Alexander Donald, Angus, James and three others (the others including Roderick, John, Murdo, Kenneth, Duncan and Malcolm). James Matheson who served with the Seaforth Highlanders was wounded in Palestine in 1917 and died as a prisoner of war in Germany on 20 November 1917, aged 22 years. Their mother Ann lived until 1943. Alexander, Angus and James are remembered on the Scottish War Memorial and on their parents’ headstone in the Alness Burial Ground.

Duncan Matheson (47348) who was born at Contin, Ross-shire, was employed on the Otaio Estate with Alexander in 1908 and also served with the New Zealand Forces in World War One, was probably a relative or very close acquaintance of Alexander Donald Matheson. (Matheson was a very common name in that part of Scotland.)

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 November 2025]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Collections – Record number 0079064) [01 November 2025]; CWGC [02 November 2025]; NZ Herald, 9 June 1915, Ashburton Guardian, 10 & 12 June 1915, 10 May 1919 [x 2], Press, 10 & 14 June 1915, 3 November 1917, 12 May 1919, Dominion, 10 & 14 June 1915, 26 April 1919, 14 May 1919, Evening Post, 12 June 1915, 14 May 1919, Star, 2 November 1917, 10 May 1919, Sun, 2 November 1917, 8 May 1919, Lyttelton Times, 2 November 1917, 10 May 1919, 28 April 1919, 9, 10 & 12 May 1919, Timaru Herald, 10 & 12 May 1919, Otago Witness, 14 May 1919, NZ Times, 14 May 1919 (Papers Past) [01 & 02 November 2025]; Scotland Census returns (ancestry.com.au) [01 November 2025]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [01 November 2025]; Sydenham Cemetery record (Christchurch City Council) [01 November 2025]; Sydenham Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [01 November 2025]; Alness Burial Ground headstone images (Find A Grave) [02 November 2025]; Scottish National War Memorial (https://www.snwm.org/roll-search/) [02 November 2025]; Probate Record (Archives NZ Collections – Record number 28720) [01 November 2025]; Alness (Scotland) Churchyard headstone image & transcription (Ross & Cromarty Roots – https://gravestones.rosscromartyroots.co.uk) [04 November 2025]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• MATHESON Alexander Donald - newspaper clippings (pdf, 131.7 KB updated 19-Dec-2025)

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.