Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

William Earl was born on 8 October 1880 at Geraldine (Kakahu), the youngest son of Job and Bridget (née Behane) Earl of Geraldine, all the children reaching adulthood. William was baptised Roman Catholic on 31 October 1880 in the Temuka parish. Job Earl, from County Wexford, Ireland, had gone to Australia as a 20-year-old and married Irish born Bridget in Melbourne, Victoria in 1866. They were to have eleven children, William the eighth, all the family reaching adulthood. Both Job and his brother William settled in South Canterbury, taking up land at Kakahu, and both married a Bridget. It appears that young William started his schooling at Geraldine Flat with many of his older siblings. In 1886 he transferred to Kakahu School. Then in March 1890, at the annual treat, distribution of prizes, and concert in connection with Hilton School, William and two of his sisters featured in the prize list, William placed first equal in Standard I.

William followed his father into farming. Was he the W. Earl who fared well with his horses at the 1914 Winchester Show? His uncle William had moved to Otaio about ten years prior, and William’s son William had been farming in the Waikari district since before the turn of the century. W. Earl was placed first with a draught gelding, a three-year-old mare and best two-year-old mare. At a women’s committee meeting in August 1914 generous amounts were collected in aid of the South Canterbury Contingent (Geraldine Division), J. Earl, Mrs Earl and W. Earl being among the contributors. A carnival in aid of Red Cross funds took place in the Hilton school ground in October 1915, W. Earl being one of the bidders in the flag auction and actually in the syndicate who bought the flag.

William Earl, a farmer of Geraldine, was drawn in the second Military Service Ballot for the South Canterbury district in December 1916. He appealed, saying that he had to attend to his father's farm of 470 acres, as his father was past working. His brothers were not capable of working on the farm. He had sheep and cattle on the place. He had not tried to get a manager; it was hard enough to get a man to do the work. The appeal was dismissed. His certificate read “Refuses to attest” is not very satisfactory but as he is apparently a ballot man no further action is necessary. William was medically examined at Timaru on 31 January 1917. He was 5 feet 6½ inches tall, weighed 138 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 32-35 inches. His complexion was sallow, his eyes blue and his hair grey. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed. Free from illnesses and diseases, vaccinated, and in good bodily and mental health, he was deemed fit, Class A. Enlisting when he was still single, he named his brother Joseph as next-of-kin – Mr J. J. Earl, Orari.

The Geraldine men for the 28th Reinforcements were guests at a farewell on 10 April 1917 when they were entertained and presented with a gift and a parcel of comforts, but W. Earl was not present, perhaps because he lived at Hilton, and it was a very wet night. He was tendered a farewell social by the people of the Hilton district, where he was entertained at the hall and presented with a wristlet watch. He left for service on 11 April 1917, being motored from Geraldine to Temuka with the local recruits. Having left for camp on 25 June 1917, he was posted to the 29th Reinforcements. After enlistment and about two weeks before embarkation, William Earl, 29th Reinforcements, married Catherine (Kitty) Collins, a sister of Daniel and John Joseph Collins who both served in the war. They married on 2 August 1917 at St Joseph’s Church, Temuka, in a small and pretty ceremony. His wife then became his next-of-kin – Mrs Catherine Earl, Geraldine, South Canterbury, and afterwards care of M. Collins, Orakipeaoa, Temuka.

Private W. Earl embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment of the 29th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 15 August 1917 per the “Ruahine”, and disembarking at Glasgow, Scotland, on 2 October. He marched into Sling on 3 October, then proceeded overseas to France on 24 November. He was admitted to hospital in France on 9 April 1918, suffering with severe diarrhoea and suspected trench feet. About a week later, on 16 April, he was transferred to the Base Depot in France and soon rejoined his Unit. He spent from 6 May 1918 till 7 June with the 179th Tunnelling Company. Detached to the 3rd Army Rest Camp in France on 21 July 1918, he rejoined his Battalion on 6 August. He went on leave to the UK on 25 November 1918 and return to New Zealand was recommended in January 1919. While at Sling in February 1919, he forfeited one day’s pay for “loitering about lines during parade hours”. Having been admitted to the Military Hospital at Tidworth on 17 March 1919, with influenza, he was discharged to duty on 29 March.

Private William Earl returned home by the troopship “Carpentaria” which left on 2 April 1919 and arrived at Lyttelton on 18 May 1919. “She is a clean ship and had practically no sickness throughout the voyage. The trip was uneventful.” At sea aboard the “Carpentaria”, Earl was fined one shilling for the loss of articles from his kit. Coming from Lyttelton by special train on 19 May 1919, Private W. Earl and four Geraldine comrades detrained at Orari. After they had been motored to Geraldine Major Kennedy, on behalf of the Soldiers’ Entertainment Committee, said “they were all glad to send the men away in good spirits and now they were extremely glad to welcome them back. He trusted they would enter into civilian life as soon as possible and spend many happy years amongst them.” For a long time they had a sad time, when they hoisted their flags to signify that some had “gone west”; but now they hoisted the flags with pleasure, because they signified that some of their men had come back. Cheers were given for the men. A few days later, a very successful welcome home social was given in the Hilton hall in honour of Private W. Earl and four pals. After several dances, the chairman of the Patriotic Committee made a short speech welcoming home the boys. Speeches in praise of the returned soldiers were also made. Major Kennedy was requested to present a gold medal to each soldier. The people of Hilton were thanked for their reception home, and also for the Christmas gifts which had been sent to them while they were away at the front. After supper was over the rest of the evening was filled in with dancing and songs.

William was discharged on 16 June 1919, on the termination of his term of engagement, and awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. All but 49 days of his service was overseas. He returned to farming and was appointed to the Te Moana Water Supply Committee in October 1919. On his father’s death in 1920 he took over the homestead at Kakahu, continuing there very successfully. He and Kitty had two daughters – Madeline born in 1920 and Mary Patricia in 1922.

William Earl died suddenly on 19 October 1929 at Geraldine, of Kakahu, just 11 days after his 49th birthday and just the second of his family to die. On taking ill a week before, he was removed to the Geraldine Hospital but failed to recover from a second operation. He had spent all his life in the Kakahu district where he was highly respected. Following a Requiem Mass at the Geraldine Catholic Church, he was buried in the Geraldine Cemetery, as had been his parents before him. Members of the Geraldine Hibernian Society, representatives of the Geraldine Ex-Servicemen’s Association, and mourners and friends from throughout South Canterbury attended his funeral. William Earl – of Geraldine Farmer now a soldier in the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces - signed a Will in August 1917, a week before embarking for war service, bequeathing all his estate to his dear wife Catherine. His widow Kitty who died suddenly forty years later, survived by their two daughters, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, was buried with him.

Mrs Bridget Earl had died in September 1916. Job Earl, who signed his Will in April 1917, died at his Kakahu residence in February 1920, survived by his eleven children. Job bequeathed to his son William Earl “if he shall either not leave New Zealand with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces in connection with the present war or having left New Zealand shall return thereto the land and property whereon I am now residing, containing 374 acres or thereabouts and also all the contents of my dwellinghouse (other than money or securities for money) horses carriages farm implements and stock upon or used in connection with the same for his own use absolutely . . . . .” He also remembered his oldest son Richard and his other children who would benefit equally if William went to war and did not return. To his sons William Earl and Joseph John Earl and his son-in-law John Kennedy, he bequeathed his farm and land at Winchester (898 acres), with his son Richard to have use of the same. The residue of his estate was to go to his daughters. William and Joseph John and John Kennedy were appointed his executors. Job Earl had worked hard and done well. In August 1915 Job contributed £20 to the sick and wounded fund. Many of the daughters of Job and Bridget married well-known locals. Mary Earl and Bridget Earl married Christopher Lysaght and John Kennedy respectively, at Geraldine in a double wedding in August 1898. John Kennedy was later the mayor of Geraldine. Elizabeth married Patrick Lysaght in 1901 and Margaret married Austin, a third of the Lysaght brothers, in 1905. Catherine Earl and Theresa Earl married brothers, Francis Charles and Thomas Charles, in 1905 and 1916 respectively. Annie Earl married Henry Bernard (Harry) McShane at Geraldine in October 1909. William’s cousin John Earl, a farmer at Otaio, was drawn in the ballot at the beginning of December 1917. He appealed asking for time and having been classed C1. His appeal was adjourned sine die. Another cousin, Michael Earl of Otaio, was listed in the Reserve Rolls.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [19 September 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5537 0036688) [28 August 2014]; Temuka Leader, 15 March 1890, 12 April 1917, 9 August 1917, Press, 15 March 1890, 3 March 1911, 7 February 1920, 22 October 1929, 1 September 1934, South Canterbury Times, 17 March 1890, Timaru Herald, 18 March 1890, 29 October 1909, 3 April 1914, 13 August 1914, 17 August 1915, 20 October 1915, 15 December 1916, 6 February 1917, 10, 12 & 25 April 1917, 4 May 1917, 25 June 1917, 4 August 1917, 25 April 1918, 5, 19, 20 & 29 May 1919, 7 October 1919, 2 February 1920, 21, 22 & 23 October 1929, NZ Tablet, 19 August 1898, Star, 15 December 1916, Observer, 21 February 1920 (Papers Past) [05 & 07 November 2013; 26 July 2014; 01 September 2014; 15 & 16 September 2014; 09 November 2014; 20 January 2015; 07 August 2015; 04 September 2015; 16 April 2018; 28 September 2020; 30 September 2023; 01 October 2023]; NZ BDM historical records Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [07 August 2015] ; Geraldine Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [05 February 2014]; Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [31 August 2014]; Timaru Herald, 21 October 1929 (Timaru district Library) [14 June 2016]; School Admission record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [30 September 2023]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [01 October 2023]; Baptism record (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch CD held by South Canterbury Genealogy Society) [03 October 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• EARL William - newspaper clippings (pdf, 129.3 KB updated 04-Oct-2023)

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