Profile

LORD, Ernest Wright
(Service number 6/3074)

Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank Private

Birth

Date 18/08/1894 Place of Birth Geraldine, New Zealand

Enlistment Information

Date 12 June 1915 Age 20
Address at Enlistment Care of T.W. Ward, Gealdine, New Zealand
Occupation Farm Labourer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin Mr T.W. Ward (father), Talbot Street, Geraldine
Religion Church of England
Medical Information Height 5 foot 6 1/2 inches, weight 140 lbs, chest 32 inches, dark complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair, teeth fair

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation 7th Reinforcements
Unit, Squadron, or Ship NZ Machine Gun Corps
Date 9 October 1915
Transport Aparima, Navua or Warrimoo
Embarked From Wellington, New Zealand Destination Suez, Egypt
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With NZ Machine Gun Corps

Military Awards

Campaigns Egyptian & Western Europe
Service Medals 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
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 6 June 1919 Reason End of war

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Dr Stevens Dublin - 1 Oct 1916, France: gun shot wund to left shoulder

Post-war Occupations

Driver

Death

Date 7 October 1970 Age 76
Place of Death Palmerston North, New Zealand
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Fielding Cemetery
Memorial Reference Block 4, Row 207, Plot 7
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Ernest was born at Geraldine on 18 August 1894, the fourth son of Thomas Wright & Emily Jane (nee Hines) Lord, of Geraldine. In 1899 he won an attendance prize at Geraldine School and in 1907, was attending Geraldine High School. In early 1915, while working as a farm labourer for Mr T. Dyer at Ngaio, Ernest joined up at Wellington on 12 June 1915. His enlistment papers described him as being single, age 20, 5 foot 6½ inches tall, weighing 140 lbs, chest 32 inches, dark complexion, grey eyes, dark brown hair, teeth only fair and Anglican. His father, Mr T W Lord of Talbot Street, Geraldine, is listed as next of kin. He embarked from Wellington on 9 October 1915, with the 7th Reinforcements, NZ Machine Gun Corps, for Suez, Egypt, on SS Aparima, Navua or Warrimoo. He arrived in Egypt too late for service at the Dardanelles and remained there until leaving for France on 7 April 1916. On 1 October 1916, Ernest received gunshot wounds to his left shoulder. After treatment by Dr Stevens at Dublin, he returned to France on 26 October 1917. The Timaru Herald 19 October 1916, reported:

“Private Ernest Lord, one of the three sons of Mr W.T. Lord of Geraldine, has been wounded in the late fighting in Northern France. His brother, Private Herbert Lord of Geraldine, who returned wounded from Gallipoli last year, is again rejoining the colours”. In May 1919, Ernest returned to NZ aboard the SS Kiaora, and, on 6 June 1919, received his discharge from the army. The Timaru Herald 10 May 1919 reported: “Private Ernest Lord was welcomed home by the mayor of Geraldine, Mr B.R. Macdonald, who thanked him for his long service and doing his duty. He advised him to get back into civilian clothes so he could continue to serve his country as he had done in the fighting line”. Ernest was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal for his 4 years of war service.

In 1926 he married Miss Amy Emily Ann Hight. Ernest lived the remainder of his life in the Manawatu area and died at Palmerston North on 7 October 1970. He was described as a retired driver and is buried in the Fielding Cemetery with his wife Amy.

Sources

Auckland Museum Cenotaph database (June 2015); Archives NZ (Personnel File); NZBDM Historical Records; NZSG Index V5; Papers Past; Manaaawatu District Council cemeteries database.

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen (SC branch NZSG)

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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