Profile

AITKEN, Robert Francis
(Service number 14044)

Pleasant Point School War Memorial
Pleasant Point War Memorial, pictured in 2007
Pleasant Point War Memorial, pictured in 2007
Aliases
First Rank Rifleman Last Rank Private

Birth

Date 25/08/1895 Place of Birth

Enlistment Information

Date 8 March 1916 Age 21
Address at Enlistment Totara Valley
Occupation Farm hand
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin Robert Aitken (father), Opihi, Pleasant Point
Religion Presbyterian
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation NZ Rifle Brigade
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 5th Reinforcements 3rd Battalion, G Company
Date 26 June 1916
Transport Tahiti
Embarked From Wellington, NZ Destination Devonport, England
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With Canterbury Infantry Regiment

Military Awards

Campaigns Western Front
Service Medals British War Medal & Victory Medal
Military Awards

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

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 5 April 1918 Age 22
Place of Death Somme, France
Cause Killed in action
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Martinsart British Cemetery, Somme
Memorial Reference I. H. 39
New Zealand Memorials On Memorial wall, Timaru; Hazelburn District War Memorial; Pleasant Point War Memorial, Pleasant Point School War Memorial

Biographical Notes

Son of Robert and Barbara Aitken, of Pleasant Point, Timaru, New Zealand.

Robert attended the Kakahu Bush School. Prior to enlistment he was working as a farm hand for S E Talbot, Totara Valley. Medically Boarded in Timaru 23 Feb 1916 by Dr D D Dryden and described as weight 148 lbs, 5 foot 11 inches, chest 34 inches, fair complexion, hair brown, eyes grey. He served in NZ from 8 Mar 1916 to 25 Jun 1916. He left for France from England 19 Sep 1916.

Robert suffered a gun shot wound to his right leg on 2 May 1917 – Cas. List no.117/1. He was evacuated to 2 NZ Gen. Hospital England on 11 May 1917 and returned to France 13 Dec 1917.

Aitken’swar medals, scroll and plaque were sent to his NOK Mr R. Aitken (father), Opihi Pleasant Point via Timaru.

Sources

Cenotaph (July 2013); NZ BDM Historical Records (bdmhistoricalrecords,dai.govt.nz); CWGC; Archives NZ; New Zealand Society of Genealogists Index Version 5

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available.

Researched and Written by

Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG & Timaru Herald, Ted Hansen

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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