Birth

Enlistment Information

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Biographical Notes

Thomas Bachop was born on 25 September 1894 at Timaru, the son of Thomas and Jane Stevenson (née Peebles) Bachop. Thomas (senior), who hailed from Scotland, and Jane, who was born in New Zealand, had married on 13 June 1893 at the Primitive Methodist Church, Barnard Street, Timaru. On 14 August 1896 at Timaru, Thomas Bachop appeared on a summons served upon him on a station in Southland, to answer to a charge of deserting his wife and child in February last. The parties were before the Court in December last, when an arrangement was made that they should live together, but they could not agree and defendant left, and was now working on a station for 15s a week. At the time they were married, three years ago, defendant was prepared to find a home for her, but she refused to leave her parents. His Worship said that independent of all agreements the man must provide for his wife an order to keep her off the rates; it was merely a question of what he could pay. The wife’s father stated that defendant sent £5 in February, and not a penny nor any communication since, and he had been keeping both wife and child. Bachop was willing to pay 5s a week. His Worship said that would hardly keep the child. The complainant gave evidence stating that she was now 22 years old; they were married three years ago last June, and their child would be two years next month. She could not go to service because she did not know what to do with the child. She was willing to join her husband if he provided a home. They had not agreed very well, but that was not her fault. If she went to service, she did not suppose she would get more than 6s a week. She had an older child (Joseph Peebles born in 1891), not defendant’s, but defendant knew all about that and agreed to keep it too. Complainant’s father suggested 7s 6d a week, and defendant promising to try and pay this amount an order was made for the payment through the Court of 30s every four weeks, and defendant was cautioned that failure to pay would involve an order for imprisonment. When Thomas Bachop applied for divorce from Jane Stevenson Bachop on 17 September 1901, the suit was undefended. An order had been made at Invercargill earlier in the month for the case to be heard in Timaru. “Petitioner stated that he was married to respondent, Jane Stephenson Peebles, at Timaru, in June, 1893. He was a farm labourer, employed for the most part on the Levels estate, and accustomed to return home on Saturday night till Monday morning. In September last, on certain information, he taxed his wife with unfaithfulness, with a seaman named White; she admitted it and said she would clear out with White. Petitioner paid the rent and all debts and cleared out, and his wife sold what was in the house and went away, and he had not seen her since. Evidence was also given that respondent and White had passed as man and wife in Timaru, and that the wife passed as Mrs White at Lyttelton when served with notice.” The order was granted. Thomas Bachop was, indeed, a ploughman at Levels in the 1890s, returning to South Canterbury after a stint further south in the early 1900s and at Trentham in 1908 (ploughman). Meanwhile, Jane Stevenson Peebles married (Charles) Ernest Voight in 1902. Jane and Ernest lived at Lyttelton until Jane’s early death on 12 December 1913 at Christchurch Hospital, just 38 years old. Mrs Voight was buried at Lyttelton Public Cemetery.

Where was young Thomas Bachop all this time? Did he attend school? Where? Joseph (Joe) Peebles, his half-brother, was admitted to Washdyke School from Timaru Main in 1901, his guardian an uncle. Thomas Bachop enlisted on 4 December 1914 at Lyttelton, just six weeks after his twentieth birthday. His address was given as 8 St David Street, Lyttelton. (Charles Voight was of St David Street, Lyttelton when Thomas’ mother Jane died just a year before; he was at 8 St David Street in 1922). A labourer for a Christchurch business, single and Anglican, Thomas named his father as next-of-kin – "J. Bachop, C/o Mr Stocker, Washdyke, Timaru". T. Bachop, surely? He belonged to No.4 Company New Zealand G.A., Lyttelton. Thomas Bachop was medically examined on 4 December 1914. He stood at 5 feet 8¼ inches, weighed 156 pounds, had a chest measurement of 33¼-36 inches, a dark complexion, brown eyes and dark brown hair. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed, his teeth fair. Free from diseases, vaccinated, and in good bodily and mental health, he was passed fit.

Private T. Bachop embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the 3rd Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 14 February 1915 and disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 26 March. Private Bachop was transferred to the New Zealand Field Artillery with the rank of Driver on 3 April 1915. He was taken on Strength with the 2nd Battery at Anzac on 2 October 1915. After disembarking at Alexandria on 29 December 1915, he was in Camp at Moascar on 15 January 1916. It was at Moascar in February 1916 that he was confined to barracks for seven days and forfeited pay for overstaying leave. He was sent to No.1 New Zealand Field Ambulance on 31 March 1916 with a poisoned thumb and discharged to his Unit two days later. He had been reported as improving at the New Zealand General Hospital at Pont de Koubbeh, Cairo. On 7 April 1916, Bachop embarked at Alexandria for France.

Gunner T. Bachop was admitted to the 1st Canadian Casualty Clearing Station, in France, on 29 July 1916. He had been severely wounded in action in the back and legs. Transferred to England per “Jan Breydal”, he was admitted to the 2nd London General Hospital at Chelsea on 1 August and transferred to the Convalescent Camp at Grey Towers (Hornchurch) on 15 August. After being taken on Strength at Codford, from Hornchurch, on 27 September, he went on leave and was instructed to report at the command Depot at Codford on 12 October. He was admitted to the Venereal Section of the 3rd New Zealand General Hospital there on 23 December 1916. While at Codford he was again confined to barracks and forfeited 4 days’ pay for absence without leave (December 1916). Discharged from the Venereal Section on 29 January 1917, he marched out to the New Zealand Field Artillery Depot at Aldershot on 9 February. He was confined to barracks penalties again in February 1917, for disobedience at Aldershot. Marching out for overseas on 19 March 1917, he was posted to the 9th Battery in France ten days later, then transferred to the Brigade Ammunition Column.

On 9 February 1918, he went on leave to the UK, rejoining on 27 February. He was evacuated sick (VD) on 23 May 1918 and admitted to No.4 Casualty Clearing Station, then to hospital at Etaples on 1 June. It was not until 29 June that he was discharged from the Venereal Hospital to No.6 Convalescent Depot, then to Base Depot, France, on 1 July. He was attached to the New Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot at Etaples, France, on 2 July. Posted to 3 New Zealand Entrenching Battalion, he joined his Battalion on 10 July 1918 and was transferred back to the NZ Field Artillery on 20 August, then to the Brigade Ammunition Column.

Driver Bachop was detached to the UK on 6 January 1919 for return to New Zealand. He incurred penalties again in January 1919 at Sling, for absence without leave. The official list of men returning with Draft 211 on the “Hororata”, which was due in Wellington on 13 March 1919, included Gunner T. Bachop, 6/1455 (2/1455a), Washdyke. Embarking at London on 1 February 1919, he actually arrived on 15 March 1919. Returning Draft No. 221 brought home 1500 survivors of the Main Body and 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Reinforcements. He was discharged on 13 April 1919, on the termination of the period of engagement, having served overseas for more than four years in all theatres of war. He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. Thomas Bachop headed back to 8 St David Street, Lyttelton, that street being his home for the next 57 years.

On 9 June 1920 at the Lyttelton Magistrate’s Court, Thomas Bachop was charged with stealing, on 6 December 1919 at Little Port Cooper, a moki net valued at £3. He was convicted and fined £5. The net was to be returned to the owner. Bachop was also fined £2 on a charge of committing a nuisance. Thomas Bachop married Vera May Buckley on 8 November 1922 at St Mary’s Church, Addington, Christchurch. Their first child, a son, was stillborn in October 1923 at Lyttelton. They were to have four more sons and a daughter, the youngest son believed still living [2024]. At the Lyttelton Baby Queen Carnival in April 1926, Tom Bachop was entered representing Returned Soldiers - their little boy Thomas Alfred Bachop born in 1925 – and along with the other entrants, he was presented with a miniature silver cup. Thomas and Vera were to live all their married life in St David Street, Lyttelton, for some years at number 56, then at 54, and in retirement at 61. Thomas was employed as a labourer and a watersider.

Another appearance at the Lyttelton Court, in April 1927, resulted in a fine of £2 for being on licensed premises after hours. In June of the same year, proceedings against Thomas Bachop for the recovery of 9 shillings, the balance of a claim for £3 4s 1d, were successful. Thomas Bachop, a watersider, lost his balance while he was fixing a safety net near No.1 hold on the Maori on the morning of 26 July 1960 and fell into the harbour between the vessel and the wharf. A cargo net was lowered, and Mr Bachop was helped from the water. He was uninjured. But was this the father or the son? Thomas and Vera were still at their St David Street, Lyttelton residence when they celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary in 1972.

Thomas Bachop died on 17 October 1976 at The Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, but was listed as normally residing at 61 St David Street, Lyttelton, his home of 75 or more years. He was survived by is wife Vera, four sons and one daughter, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. His funeral service was held in the Canterbury Crematorium Chapel. Vera May Bachop died on 3 April 1983 at Burwood Hospital. Her service, too, was held at the Canterbury Crematorium Chapel. Thomas Bachop’s father, also named Thomas Bachop and one of five Bachop brothers and two sisters to come out to New Zealand from Scotland, died on 2 July 1936 at Dunedin, aged 87 years, and was buried at Anderson’s Bay Cemetery.

Thomas Alfred Bachop, the eldest son of Thomas and Vera, probably served with the Royal New Zealand Navy in World War Two. Cousins of Thomas Bachop who served in World War One with the New Zealand Forces were: William Thomas Bachop (Bauchop), Horace James Bachop (Bauchop), Norman Drummond Bachop (Bauchop), Ernest Mark Pickering, and Oliver Pickering who died of wounds in 1918 in France; Grandsons of his uncle William Bachop who also served with the New Zealand Forces were Norman Oliver Stanley Bachop and Alwyn Francis Deaker, in World War One, and Roy Drummond Batchelor Bachop in World War Two.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [10 February 2015]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5520 0010267) [15 February 2015]; NZ BDM historical records indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [15 February 2015]; Timaru Herald, 15 August 1896, 18 September 1901, 12 August 1916, 5 March 1919, Temuka Leader, 20 August 1896, Southland Times, 7 September 1901, 12 August 1916, Lyttelton Times, 13 December 1913, Ashburton Guardian, 11 August 1916, NZ Herald, 12 August 1916, Press, 12 August 1916, 10 June 1920, 6 October 1923, 9 & 12 April 1926, 28 April 1927, 23 June 1927, 27 July 1960, 8 November 1972, 19 October 1976, 4, 5 & 6 April 1983, Sun, 4 March 1919, 9 June 1920, Evening Star, 2 & 3 July 1936 (Papers Past) [10 & 11 February 2015; 08 May 2015; 28 September 2022; 15 July 2024]: NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [11 February 2015; 15 July 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

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