Profile

DAVEY, Henry George
(Service number 24828)

The Davey family, circa 1912
Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank Sergeant

Birth

Date 03/09/1891 Place of Birth Temuka

Enlistment Information

Date 25 May 1916 Age 24 yrs 7 mths
Address at Enlistment Main North Rd, Temuka, South Canterbury
Occupation Carpenter
Previous Military Experience Temuka Rifles (disbanded)
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin Mr George DAVEY, Main North Rd, Temuka, South Canterbury
Religion Church of England
Medical Information Height 5 feet 9 inches. Weight 154 lbs. Chest measurement 32-35 inches. Complexion fair. Eyes blue. Hair fair. Eyes both 5/5. Hearing - right ear defective, left ear good. Colour vision, heart and lungs normal. Limbs and chest well formed. Full movement of joints. Teeth good. No illnesses. Free from hernia, haemorroids, inveterate or contagious skin disease. Slight degree of varicocele. Vaccinated. No fits. Severe varicose veins on right leg and one or two on left leg. Marked deafness in right ear. Assessed as permanently unfit for active service; fit for Home Service

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Home Service Branch
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation n/a
Unit, Squadron, or Ship n/a
Date n/a
Transport n/a
Embarked From n/a Destination n/a
Other Units Served With H. Q. S. (Musketry); N. Z. Ordinance Corps
Last Unit Served With New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals
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 12 December 1918 Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Carpenter

Death

Date 5 June 1985 Age 93 yrs
Place of Death Palmerston North
Cause Old age
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Opunake Cemetery
Memorial Reference Opunake General Interdenominational Section, Block I, Plot 796
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Henry George DAVEY was a son of George and Maria Jane (nee FINLAY) DAVEY, of Temuka. His brother Stanley Edward DAVEY was killed in action in 1916 at the Somme, and his brothers Arthur and Francis James DAVEY also served in WWI. Henry enlisted at Temuka and served in the Ordnance Company in the Home Service as he was unfit for active service. Because of tortuous and bunching veins on his right leg he was unable to stand long marching, and so he was recommended for a stationary position. In addition, he had been rejected for military forces on account of deafness in his right ear.. His military training was at Trentham. He was posted as a Private to H.Q.S. (Musketry Staff) on 24 May 1916. On 18 June 1916 he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant. On 17 May 1917 he was transferred to the Ordnance Department. He was demobilized on 12 December 1918. Afterwards he worked at Trentham making coffins for influenza victims.An irregularity occurred with Henry's service number - he had the same number as another serviceman, which he became aware of in 1964 when the other man's death appeared in the Roll of Honour. While the Ministry of Defence could offer no explanation, any suggestion of confusion was dismissed since all Henry's service was with the Home Service Branch, while the other serviceman served overseas with the NZEF. Henry was granted 'Leave of Absence' in lieu of Discharge. Married Anna Sophia COFFIN in 1919. Daughter.

Sources

Cenotaph Database [11 August 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5537 0031939) [27 June 2014]; South Taranaki burial records, Opunake Cemetery [10 November 2013]

External Links

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