ALLEN, Alexander
(Service number 48144)
| First Rank | Chaplain Captain (Chaplain Class IV [Captain]) | Last Rank | Chaplain Captain (Chaplain Class IV [Captain]) |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 25/12/1884 | Place of Birth | New Zealand |
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Enlistment Information
| Date | 30 March 1917 | Age | 34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 66 Fitzroy Street, Caversham, Dunedin | ||
| Occupation | Clergyman | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Married (Christchurch, 3 Apr 1914 by Rev CH Laws) | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Eva Allen (wife), 68 Edward Ave, St Albans, Christchurch | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
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Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Chaplains | ||
| Date | 14 March 1917 | ||
| Transport | Ruapehu | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington, NZ | Destination | Plymouth, England |
| Other Units Served With | No.2 NZ General Hospital & 4 Bn NZ Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Chaplains' Dept | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Western Europe | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 8 May 1918 | Age | 34 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Somme, France | ||
| Cause | Killed in action whilst ministering to the wounded in the Regimental Aid Post | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No. 2, Somme, France | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Caversham Methodist Church Dunedin; Roll of Honour New Zealand Chaplains Department in World War One, 1914–1919 | ||
Biographical Notes
Chaplain Allen was the son of Joseph and Annie Allen, husband of Eva Allen, of Wai-iti Avenue, Timaru. He was born 1 Jan 1884 (NZ BDM Reg No 1884/2867) and married Eva Sandford on 3 Apr 1914 (NZ BDM Reg No 1914/7782). In 1914 he and Eva were living at Main Road Waikouaiti, occupation Methodist Minister.
Allen was attached to No. 2 NZ General Hospital and later 4th Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade (NZRB). Allen was ministering to the wounded in the Regimental Aid Post (RAP) of the 4th Battalion, NZRB, when it was destroyed by German shellfire, killing everyone in it (Cas List No.856/3). He had arrived in France 15 Sep 1917 with the 23rd Reinforcements.
A memorial plaque to his memory exists in the Caversham Methodist Church Dunedin. A son, whom he never saw, was born after he left New Zealand with the Forces.
His war medals, scroll and plaque were sent to his wife Mrs Eva Allen, care Messrs Field & Royds, 200 Cashel Street, Christchurch.
Sources
Cenotaph (August 2013 & October 2014); "Men of Faith & Courage" - The Official History of New Zealand's Army Chaplains - J. Bryant Haigh; NZ BDM Historical Records (bdmhistoricalrecords,dai.govt.nz); NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au)
External Links
Related Documents
Researched and Written by
Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG & Timaru Herald, Ted Hansen
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.