ROSS, Alister
(Service number 62883)
Ross served with the 34th Specialist Company, NZ Machine Gun Corps, enlisting in August 1917 and being discharged in April 1919. All four 'boys' appear to be wearing NZ Machine Gin hat badges. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.04)
Labelled "Sunday at Sea" on the reverse. Presumably taken aboard the Ulimaroa on the way to the front in Europe. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.07)
Ross enlisted with the the 34th Specialist Company, NZ Machine Gun Corps in August 1917. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.08)
![Postcard: 'Greetings to my Gallant soldier [Brother]'](/__data/assets/image/0020/46703/L2014_021_013.jpg)
The verso bears a message of love, assuring Alex all was well at home, and that "Donald [no surname] was to have his final leave the following week (prior to leaving for the front).
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.13)
![Postcard: 'Greetings to my Gallant soldier [Brother]' (verso)](/__data/assets/image/0003/46704/L2014_021_013_verso.jpg)
The verso bears a message of love, assuring Alex all was well at home, and that "Donald [no surname] was to have his final leave the following week (prior to leaving for the front).
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.13)
The reverse bears a message of love and best wishes to Alex from home.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.12)
The verso bears a message of love and best wishes to Alex from home.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.12)
Alex sent the card to mark Belle's birthday. Included in the silk pocket at the front of the card was a small square of paper containing plant matter (heather flower?) labelled "Gathered near Donald Ross's birth place".
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.11)
Alex sent the card to mark Belle's birthday. Included in the silk pocket at the front of the card was a small square of paper containing plant matter (heather flower?) labelled "Gathered near Donald Ross's birth place".
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.11)
Belle mentions that her mother had also written and commented on the wet weather (at Washdyke) and the amount of time since last receiving a letter from Alex.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L20104/021.10)
Belle mentions that her mother had also written and commented on the wet weather (at Washdyke) and the amount of time since last receiving a letter from Alex.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.10)
The verso bears a message of wishing good health, assuring Alex all was well at home.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.15)
The verso bears a message of wishing good health, assuring Alex all was well at home.
From a Ross family album largely consisting of postcards collected by Alister (Alex) Ross while training in England or serving in France during World War One. (Courtesy of F Ross, South Canterbury Museum L2014/021.15)
The items include his hat puggaree (at top), unit badges (around the outside of the print), service badges and ribbons (some separated). Below the print is what appears to be a unofficial(?) pre-World War One South Canterbury Infantry Battalion ribbon and badge, similar to another similar held by the South Canterbury Museum that was presented to Sgt Mjr Bradley from his comrades in 1907. (Courtesy of F Ross )
| First Rank | Lance Corporal | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 04/06/1896 | Place of Birth | Methven |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | |||
| Occupation | Farmer (for Donald Ross) | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | |||
| Next of Kin | Mrs D. Ross (mother), Washdyke, Canterbury, New Zealand | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 34th Reinforcements, Specialist Company | ||
| Date | 8 February 1918 | ||
| Transport | Ulimaroa | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington, New Zealand | Destination | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Western European | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
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 | 28 August 1966 | Age | 70 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | |||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Alex Ross, as he was generally known, was born at Lauriston, near Rakaia in 1896. Later the family moved to The Poplars near Waikakahi in the Waimate District. He was educated at the nearby Ikawai School and later at Washdyke School. His Secondary education was completed at Timaru Boys’ High School where he gained distinction in academic and sporting events.
Alex enlisted in the New Zealand Army on 2nd August 1917 and was appointed to the 34th Reinforcement NZ Expeditionary Force and commenced training in Burnham 20.08.17. Following Basic training he was posted to the N.Z. Machine Gun Corps, 34th Specialist Company. His active service commenced on 01.02.1918 in Western Europe, participating there from 08.02.1918. Alex was wounded and was admitted to the Rouen Field Hospital, France and later transferred to Brockenhurst in England. Alex was finally discharged from the Army on 28.04.1919 following his arrival back in New Zealand on the troopship Ajana. Duration 1 year 49 days.
After his return from World War One Alex moved on to the family farm at Seaforth, north of Timaru, where his father had settled in the early 1900’s. Following his father’s death he took over Seaforth and it still remained in the family at his death in 1966. He was also a member of the Home Guard during World War 2.
Alex was elected to the former Levels County Council in 1950 and served as a Councillor until 1959 during which time he was the representative on the Timaru Airport Committee.
Alex Ross was a member of the South Canterbury RSA and also a member of the Timaru High Schools’ Board of Governors for six years until 1962. And he was also an elder of Chalmers Presbyterian Church in Timaru for a number of years.
Besides his public body work Alex was also interested in sports. He had associations with cricket and table tennis and was a keen supporter of the South Canterbury rugby team. In his early days at Washdyke he was prominent in miniature rife shooting and an able tennis player.
Alex had a wide range of other interests which was reflected in his first class general knowledge - he was well read and well informed on many subjects. On 2nd of September 1925 Alex married Mary (May) Kelman and they had four sons and two daughters who were all raised at the family home of Seaforth. In his later years Alex spent his retirement on a small property at Washdyke.
Sources
SCRoll submission from Fraser Ross, 11 December 2014; Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database (19 June 2015)
External Links
Related Documents
- Lance Corporal Alister Ross courtesy of F Ross (pdf, 204.2 KB updated 03-Nov-2015)
- Alister Ross - Army Record - Courtesy of F Ross (pdf, 528.7 KB updated 03-Nov-2015)
- Timaru Herald 2 July 2016 - Great War Stories - Alister ROSS (pdf, 6.8 MB updated 13-Jul-2016)
Researched and Written by
Tony Rippin (South Canterbury Museum)
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.