Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Daniel McAuliffe, known as Dan, was the third son of Cornelius (Con) and Mary (née Ahern) McAuliffe, who had married in 1865 and emigrated from Castleisland, County Kerry in 1874 with four children. They took up residence at Temuka, South Canterbury, where five more children were born. Dan was born at Temuka on 15 September 1878 and baptised Roman Catholic there on 22 September 1878. His birth was registered as Dan, his marriage and death as Daniel. Dan was educated at St Joseph’s School, Temuka, where he and some classmates presented a dialogue – ‘True and False Friends’ – at the annual school concert in December 1889. As part of the festivities to celebrate the patronal feast of St Joseph at Temuka on 19 March 1892, sports were supervised for the girls and younger boys and races were arranged for the senior boys. In one of the St Joseph’s Day Handicap ¼ mile races, D. McAuliffe finished first equal. Was this Dan? In May 1902, D. McAuliffe selected in the Temuka Second Fifteen for a match against Timaru. Mr C. McAuliffe, of Arowhenua, suffered from two serious accidents in February-March 1899. On the second occasion, when he fell with the ladder, he was stunned, his workmates thinking he had been killed. As well as farming, Cornelius McAuliffe was largely employed in road contracts and creek cleaning contracts. He was for some time the overseer of the Arowhenua Domain Board Creek. In 1911 he bought a section in Maude Street, Temuka. Mr and Mrs McAuliffe of Maude Street, Temuka, had been residents of Temuka for forty years when they celebrated the golden wedding in February 1915. Mrs McAuliffe was presented with affinely worked shawl and Mr McAuliffe with an inscribed walking cane.

Daniel McAuliffe married Ellen Jones on 2 June 1903 at Temuka. Dan and Ellen had one daughter and seven sons before Ellen died on 21 February 1920 at St Helen’s Hospital following a painful illness (and a stillbirth). Ellen was buried at Linwood Cemetery. The first three children were born at Temuka, where Dan was a labourer – Mary Esther on 10 July 1903, Cornelius on 3 September 1904, Daniel (Dan) on 23 September 1905; the others were born at Christchurch – Thomas on 16 December 1906, Michael on 19 January 1908, John on 30 September 1910, Patrick Joseph on 31 March 1912, and Maurice Gerald on 5 May 1916 after Dan had embarked. For the most part, the children were educated at Christchurch Schools (Redcliffs, St Anne’s Woolston, Marist, Richmond), one spending some time at St Joseph’s Temuka in the custody of an aunt and another at the Receiving Home in 1919.

On 18 October 1915, 380 Canterbury men for the Ninth Reinforcements went north to Trentham. They were paraded at the King Edward Barracks shortly after six o’clock and the roll was called. Headed by the band of the First (Canterbury) Regiment the men then marched to the railway station and there boarded a special train containing about 300 men brought from the south. Named in the Infantry for the group XL detachment was Dan McAuliffe. Dan McAuliffe attested 19 October 1915 at Trentham. He had served with the Temuka Rifles until leaving the district. On 22 October 1915 he was posted to the 9th Reinforcements. He had been medically examined on 11 October. He stood at 6 feet 1 inch, weighed 161 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 36-40 inches, a fair complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed, his teeth good. He was free from diseases, except for very slight varicocele, had never had any serious illness or fits, was vaccinated and was in a good bodily and mental health. A labourer for NZ Railways, married and Roman Catholic, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Ellen McAuliffe, 433 Moorhouse Avenue, Christchurch.

Private Dan McAuliffe embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the 9th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington on 8 January 1916 per the “Maunganui” and disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 8 February. He embarked on 7 April 1916 for France where he was appointed Lance Corporal on 8 April. On 5 July 1916 he was admitted to the New Zealand Field Ambulance, being discharged to duty and rejoining his Unit two days later. On 30 August 1916 he was admitted to hospital in France, with a sprained ankle (sick). His disability was of a trivial nature and would not interfere with his future efficiency as a soldier; the injury did not occur while in performance of military duty although he claimed that he was in the performance of military duty at the time of the accident. He was admitted to the No. 1 New Zealand Stationary Hospital at Amiens, France, sick, on 3 September 1916 and to the No. 5 General Hospital at Rouen the next day. He was transferred to the No. 2 Convalescent Depot at Rouen on 15 September. He rejoined his Unit on 12 October 1916 after being attached to the Strength of the New Zealand Infantry and General Base Depot at Etaples, France on 1 October. He was appointed Temporary Corporal on 25 November 1916 then promoted to Corporal on 20 December. He was appointed Lance Sergeant (unpaid) on 13 January 1917. From 18 March the appointment was paid. Sick again on 22 February 1917, he was admitted to the West Lancashire Field Ambulance with bronchitis, then on 24 February to the No. 2 New Zealand Field Ambulance and on 25 February the Wessex Field Ambulance. Discharged to duty, he rejoined his Unit on 10 March 1917.

Wounded in Action at Messines on 7 June 1917 whilst advancing against the enemy’s position, he was admitted to the 77th Field Ambulance, then to the No. 11 Casualty Clearing Station, and on 8 June to the No. 3 Canadian General Hospital at Boulogne. Embarking for England by Hospital Ship “St David” on 9 June, he was admitted to the No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst, with a gunshot wound to his right shoulder (fracture of right scapula involving shoulder joint). He experienced pain and a temperature during an operation on 12 June. The wound was excised, and it was found that a bullet had passed through the blade of the scapula splintering it considerably and splitting the glenoid cavity. Several pieces of the scapula were removed. The bullet was removed. The wound (about 8 inches long on back of right shoulder) healed well. Classified unfit by the Medical Board in England, he was placed on the New Zealand Roll on 6 July 1917. Preparing for transfer from Brockenhurst on 13 July 1917, McAuliffe had to sign with his mark on the detailed statement of articles in his possession (clothing and necessaries) on 9 July.

Dan McAuliffe returned to New Zealand per the “Marama”, embarking at Avonmouth on 19 July 1917 and arriving on about 25 August 1917. The Medical board was assembled at sea on board the H.S. “Marama” on 6 August 1917 noted permanent disability of right shoulder; poor hand grip; movement in elbow fairly good; wasting of muscles round shoulder; slow progress. Treatment as a hospital out-patient at Christchurch was recommended. A Provisional Medical Board which was assembled on 22 August 1917 on board the Troopship “Marama” at the Port of Auckland, recommended that he be treated as a convalescent in the Rotorua Convalescent Home. He was granted sick-leave from 26 August 1917 to 1 September 1917. Reporting at King George V. Hospital at Rotorua on 3 September 1917, Dan McAuliffe was under treatment there from 5 September. The report of 19 September read “Shoulder can be moved passively to a slight degree in all directions – every movement intensely painful – no nerve injury but great pain in movement of arm along the nerve trunks.” Further treatment was required at the hospital. A Medical Board was assembled on 21 November 1917 at Rotorua. The original disability of 6/3793 Sergt D. McAuliffe was a gunshot wound of the shoulder, and the consequent disability was inability to use the shoulder. Considerable mobility had returned to the shoulder, but he was not fit for Active Service or Territorial Service and the disability was likely to be permanent. He was, moreover, unlikely to be fit for Civil Employment for 12 months. Discharge was recommended, and a full pension to be reviewed in 6 months. He was discharged on 22 November 1917, no longer physically fit for War Service on account of Wounds received in Action, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal.

It was not until 27 November (1917) that Sergeant Dan McAuliffe was able to visit his parents at Temuka. He had been expected to come some time before, but owing to the illness of his wife, he had stayed in Christchurch. He was reported to be making a good recovery and to be looking very well. Although his arrival at Temuka was unexpected, he received a warm welcome from the chairman of the Temuka Patriotic Entertainment Committee and a friends who happened to be on the platform. His initial address on return was 202 Barbadoes Street, Christchurch, then 72 Bamford Street, Christchurch; later Maude Street, Temuka; and finally, Lake Tekapo, Mackenzie Country. Life would not have been easy for Dan on his return. He was, it would seem, not in good physical shape. His wife was possibly already in ill health. And he had eight young children. He was, indeed, at 202 Barbadoes Street in 1919, a railway surfaceman, moving to 72 Bamford Street, Woolston later in the year. By 1925 he was at Maude Street, Temuka, possibly with his father, and was still there when his father died in September 1929, Dan, his brother Michael and his brother-in-law Thomas Orr all pallbearers. At the Temuka Magistrate’s Court in February 1927, Daniel McAuliffe was charged with riding a bicycle along King Street at night without a light. There was no appearance of defendant, and the constable deposed that at 8.50pm he saw defendant riding a bicycle without a light, and he gave his excuse that he had a parcel and couldn’t carry a light. As he was a first offender, he was fined 10 shillings. Dan was likely the D. McAuliffe who played for the Hibernians in the Friendly Fridays card tournament (Temuka) on 8 June 1927 and again the following week. At the Timaru Magistrate’s Court on 13 November 1930, an order was made against Daniel McAuliffe for the support of his son John McAuliffe at the rate of 15 shillings a week. Back in court on 11 June 1931, Daniel McAuliffe was charged with disobedience of the terms of a maintenance order, being £8/5/6 in arrears up to April 24. Defendant was convicted and sentenced to two months’ imprisonment with hard labour, warrant to be suspended so long as he paid the current order and 2/6 per week off the arrears. Daniel McAuliffe did not appear in court on 26 January 1933 to answer a charge of failing to comply with the terms of a maintenance order, being £66 in arrear with payments up to December 29. Defendant was convicted and sentenced to three months’ imprisonment, warrant to be suspended so long as he paid the current order of 15/- a week, and 2/6 a week off the arrears.

From about 1930/1931 Dan McAuliffe was at Omarama. It is quite probable that D. McAuliffe who gave a special prize for the Omarama Collie Dog trials in April 1938 was Dan. D. McAuliffe, Oamaru, made a donation to the War Expenses Fund in mid-March 1941. In December 1943 D. McAuliffe gave a donation to the Omarama Patriotic Committee. And in January 1945 D. McAuliffe (Omarama) contributed £1 to the R.S.A. Building Fund (Oamaru/North Otago). In July 1945 it was to the 1945 All Purposes Appeal (Omarama List) that he made a £1 donation. From the late 1940s he was a labourer (perhaps gardener) at St Kevin’s College, Oamaru. A letter sent on 16 August 1949 from Army Headquarters in reply to one dated 8 August 1949 from the Oamaru Returned Services Association, provided the following service details relating to 6/3793 Daniel McAuliffe, 1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force- Enlisted 19.10.1915; Embarked 8.1.1916; Returned to New Zealand 26.8.1917; Discharged 22.11.1917; Total Overseas Service 1 year 230 days. The Secretary of The Oamaru Returned Services’ Association was applying for an increase in War Pension for Mr McAuliffe who was unable to find his discharge or to remember dates of enlistment, discharge, etc.

Dan McAuliffe died on 20 July 1956 at Oamaru, aged 77 years. His funeral left the Christchurch Catholic Cathedral after a Requiem Mass for the Linwood Cemetery where he was buried with his wife Ellen. In October 1956, the Public Trustee administered his estate, which consisted of £152 in his Post Office Savings Bank Account, £60 in Cash and £5 in Accrued Age Benefit.

When Dan’s mother, Mary McAuliffe, died on 22 November 1921, she was in possession of land. In her Will, she made provision for the funeral expenses of both herself and her husband. Cornelius McAuliffe died on 22 September 1929 at his daughter’s residence, four months after celebrating his 90th birthday. His section on Maude Street, Temuka, and property not otherwise assigned were left for his son Dan McAuliffe. Dan was residing back at Temuka at this date (1928). When Con died only four of his family were living – Michael, Norah (Mrs Lynch), Catherine (Mrs Orr) and Dan. The eldest son John died on 2 January 1911 in a tragic accident at Temuka. He was a widower, his wife having died 19 months earlier, and left orphaned five young girls. The eldest daughter, Elizabeth O’Shea, died on 7 September 1914 at Timaru Hospital and was buried at Temuka. Patrick McAuliffe, the fourth son of Cornelius and Mary, died of tuberculosis on 15 July 1910 at Temuka. He was buried at Temuka with his youngest sister Mary who had died at 17 months in 1884. The youngest son Thomas died on 23 January 1925 at his father’s Temuka residence. Widowed in January 1919, he left a young daughter. He had been a labourer at Washdyke when he was called up in October 1917. Of the last four surviving McAuliffe siblings, Michael (second son) died, unmarried, on 6 March 1956 at Timaru and was buried at Temuka; Nora Lynch (second daughter) who had married in June 1913 at St Joseph’s Church, Temuka, died on 26 February 1959 at Timaru, survived by her husband and only daughter, and was buried at Temuka; Dan died on 20 July 1956 at Oamaru; and Catherine Orr who had married in November 1906 at St Joseph’s Church Temuka, died on 18 March 1966 at Timaru, survived by four daughters, her husband having died in 1921, and was buried at Temuka.

The only daughter of Dan and Ellen McAuliffe, Mary Esther died in 1935 at the age of 32, leaving one son from her marriage to James Munro. Their eldest son, Cornelius, was just 16 when he died on 26 June 1920 at Kaponga, Taranaki, where he was a farm labourer. He met his death by a horse dragging and kicking him. He was buried in the Kaponga Cemetery. Daniel, junior, also known as Dan, married twice. He was survived by a son and a daughter when he died on 18 August 1965 at his Christchurch residence. Thomas, the third son, died on 16 October 1941 at Dunedin (Seacliff Mental Hospital), of Christchurch, aged 34 years. He was interred privately at Andersons Bay Cemetery, Dunedin. Michael who married Nellie Crowe, was a lineman and, after a few years at Timaru, moved about the country. Nellie died in 1962 and was buried at Masterton, while Michael died on 9 January 1985 and was buried at Taita Cemetery. John, known as Jack, died on 27 October 1969 at his Christchurch residence, survived by his wife, two daughters and two sons. Patrick Joseph, who served as a Gunner in World War Two, probably lived his adult life in the North Island. He died on 27 August 1987 and was buried in the Helensville Cemetery where a services plaque marks his grave. The youngest of the family, Maurice Gerald, also served in World War Two. He was living on the West Coast and was married when he enlisted. He died on 23 October 1980 at Hokitika, survived by his wife, five sons and seven daughters, his daughter Catherine a religious teaching sister at Timaru at the time.

Two nephews of Dan McAuliffe lost their lives in World War One – Cornelius O’Shea was killed in action at Messines on 15 Marh 1917 and Daniel O’Shea died of wounds in France on 21 September 1916.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [20 June 2016]; Timaru Herald, 23 July 1956 (Timaru District Library) [15 & 20 June 2016]; Linwood Cemetery, Christchurch, burial records (Christchurch City Council) [20 June 2016]; Probate record (Archives NZ/FamilySearch) [20 June 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [20 June 2016]; Temuka Leader, 19 December 1889, 22 March 1892, 29 November 1906, 16 July 1910, 3 January 1911, 29 November 1917, 24 & 27 January 1925, 24 February 1927, 9 & 16 June 1928, 30 May 1929, 26 September 1929, South Canterbury Times, 11 March 1899, Timaru Herald, 14 May 1902, 16 July 1910, 8 September 1914, 23 February 1915, 23 June 1917, 24 January 1925, 26 September 1929, 14 November 1930, 12 June 1931, 27 January 1933, NZ Tablet, 3 July 1913, Lyttelton Times, 19 October 1915, 22 June 1917, 23 August 19172 October 1917, Sun, 30 September 1916, 22 June 1917, 23 February 1920, Ashburton Guardian, 30 September 1916, Wanganui Herald, 22 June 1917, Star, 23 February 1920, Taranaki Daily News, 2 July 1920, Press, 12 June 1931, 27 January 1933, 21 & 23 July 1956, 27 February 1959, 20 August 1965, 28 October 1969, 24 December 1980, Otago Daily Times, 23 April 1938, 20 October 1941, 23 December 1943, 27 January 1945, 16 July 1945, Nelson Evening Mail, 15 March 1941, Dominion, 15 March 1941, Evening Star, 18 October 1941 (Papers Past) [20 June 2016; 05 August 2017; 13 August 2020; 23, 24, 25 & 28 September 2024]; Baptism Index (Catholic Diocese of Christchurch CD held by South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [03 September 2021]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [23 September 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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