SHEARS, Samuel
(Service number 6/2753)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 24/12/1895 | Place of Birth | Kakahu |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Stafford Street, Timaru | ||
| Occupation | |||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mr B. SHEARS (father), Stafford Street, Timaru | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | 6th Reinforcements | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterbury Infantry Battalion | ||
| Date | 14 August 1915 | ||
| Transport | Willochra or Tofua | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-15 Star; 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 | * 1978 | Age | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | |||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Samuel SHEARS, born on 24 December 1895, was the son of Benjamin and Annie (née COOKE) SHEARS. Benjamin and Annie had married in England and come to New Zealand in about 1880. Samuel (2nd Regiment) was one of 123 men who joined 500 men from the south already on the train and left from the Timaru Railway Station in mid-April 1915, en route for the Front. The Mayor wished them the best of good fortune and complimented them on the manly stand they were so freely taking in going to help to break the sway of one of the greatest despots who had ever lived. He wished them all a safe and speedy return, before the train steamed out of the station to the accompaniment of cheering and good-bye messages. Samuel returned home on Draft No. 221 on the Hororata which was due in Wellington on the 13 March 1919. As soon as the Hororata reached Wellington, the South Island men travelled to Lyttelton and then on to Timaru by a special express, which was decorated with flags and red, white and blue bunting, while painted on the front was "welcome home". They arrived in Timaru on 16 March 1919 to an rousing reception by the crowd packed into Station Street. They were addressed by Mr J. Craigie, M.P., and the Deputy Mayor, welcomed back and complimented on all they had done for the Empire and freedom. The National Anthem was played before being taken home in decorated cars. Samuel married amelia Lottie BOYCE in 1920 at St Mary's, Timaru.
Sources
Cenotaph Database [29 July 2014]; Timaru Herald, 19 April 1915, 19 December 1916, 6 & 9 February 1918, 5 & 17 March 1919, 17 March 1919, 4 June 1920, Press, 4 March 1919 (Papers Past) [06 & 09 September 2014]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [29 July 2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [29 July 2014]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Currently Assigned to
LSh
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