Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Richard Henry Kaan, known as Harry, was the son of John and Susey Hannah (née Jackson) Kaan. He was born on 1 April 1896 at Waimate. Harry and his siblings were educated at the Waimate School. H. Kaan – surely Harry – finished third in the high jump (under 14) at the Waimate District High School annual sports in March 1910, while his younger brother George came first in the pets’ race with his lamb. A boy named H. Kaan, whilst exercising a horse over hurdles on Wednesday, 13 May 1914, sustained a broken leg through the horse falling upon him. Harry Kaan, a jockey, gave somewhat inconclusive evidence at the Oamaru Magistrate’s Court in July 1915, with regard to a motor car accident on the Waitaki bridge on 9 May 1915, when a pony had been destroyed. Benjamin Joseph Horgan and Harry Kaan were charged with yelling and singing in Mill Road on Race Night (29th July 1915) at 11.30 o’clock and causing annoyance to residents. They pleaded guilty and were each ordered to pay 7s costs in the Waimate Magistrate’s Court.

Richard Henry Kaan was medically examined at Waimate on 3 November 1915. He was 5 feet 5½ inches tall, weighed 9 stone 10 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 32-34½ inches. His complexion was medium, his eyes blue, and his hair medium brown. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed, and his teeth satisfactory. Free from illnesses, diseases and fits, vaccinated, and in good bodily and mental health, he was classified fit. “Spare but in good health, will improve a great deal with training.” A good number of recruits for the Tenth Reinforcements had been passed fit and were dispatched from the South Canterbury district on 16 November 1915. Among those for the Mounted Rifles was Trooper R. H. Kaan, Waimate. Harry was a jockey, not 20 years old, and residing at home at Waimate when he enlisted on 16 November 1915 at Trentham. Single and Anglican, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Sarah [sic] Hannah Kaan, Naylor Street, Waimate, Canterbury. (Sarah was his grandmother’s name.) He spent his first month at Trentham before moving to Tauherinikau in mid-December 1915.

While at Featherston, Kaan forfeited concessions for overstaying leave on 20 February 1916. Trooper R. H. Kaan embarked with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles of the 10th Reinforcements, departing on 4 March 1916 from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, where he disembarked on 8 April. From April 1916, R. H. Kaan was listed under Answered the Call in Waimate’s Roll of Honour published regularly in the Waimate Daily Advertiser. He was taken on Strength at Moascar and attached to the 10th Mounted Rifles. On 18 May 1916, he was admitted to the 31st General Hospital at Port Said, suffering from heat exhaustion. A few days later he was transferred to Alexandria per the Hospital Ship “Grantully Castle”, then to the 15th General Hospital at Mont Royal, from where he was discharged on 12 June.

Trooper Kaan was transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps on 9 September 1916 and served in Egypt. On 22 February 1917 he was transferred to Brigade Headquarters at El Arish. On 12 August 1917 he was admitted to the Field Ambulance at Alexandria from Brigade Headquarters of the Imperial Camel Corps. At the 24th Stationary Hospital suffering from debility after diphtheria, he was transferred to hospital at Cairo on 8 September and to Aotea on 15 September. Discharged on 20 September, he was posted to Strength at Abbassia. While with the Imperial Camel Corps at Abbassia, he forfeited two days’ pay for being out of bounds at a brothel, for not complying with an order, for insolence, and for being deficient of his identity disc, the penalty being awarded on 24 September 1917.

Taken sick on 27 March 1918 at Abbassia, he was admitted to No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital at Moascar, with balanitis inguinal. By 20 April his progress was satisfactory. He was discharged to duty from No. 2 Australian Stationary Hospital on 6 May and transferred to the Imperial Camel Corps in the Field on 24 May. He was detached to the School of Instruction at Richon from 14th to 31st July 1918. While at Richon, he was to forfeit another day’s pay for “conduct to the contrary of good order and ill-discipline”, on 29 July 1918. He was posted to Strength with the 2nd NZ Machine Gun Squadron on 31 July 1918. He went to hospital in Cairo, sick, on 25 September 1918 and was admitted to No. 44 Stationary Hospital at Kontara on 1 October - diarrhoea and debility. He was then admitted to No. 27 General Hospital at Abbassia on 7 October, suffering from diarrhoea and debility. His progress was again satisfactory, and he was admitted to Aotea Convalescent Home at Heliopolis on 8 October. Trooper Kaan was discharged from hospital and posted to duty on 30 October 1918. But debility following dysentery took its toll on Kaan and he was boarded for New Zealand.

Transport No. 208, “Malta”, was due at a New Zealand port in late January 1919, bringing home from Egypt invalided soldiers, among them Private Henry Kaan (Harry) of Waimate, and other South Canterbury men. He had embarked at Suez on 14 December 1918. Returning to the family home at Riverside, Waimate, Private R. H. Kaan was issued with a Sick Leave Certificate effective from 31 January to 13 February 1919. He was discharged on 18 September 1919, no longer physically fit for War Service on account of illness contracted on Active Service. All his overseas service was in Egypt, for which he was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. By November 1919, Harry was back into civilian life, winning the Dog Cart Horse event with “Dolly”. Shortly after the war he became a carter, probably for a baker. Before too long he became a baker, following that occupation until retirement.

Kaan was one of the firing party who paraded at the Drill Hall at 1.30 pm following the Anzac Day memorial service at Waimate in 1920. Both G. Kaan and H. Kaan were in the mix to represent Hiwiroa Juniors (football) against St Andrews on 18 June 1921; and both played against Pareora on 25 June, and more. In April 1922, a “young man named Harry Kaan, in the employ of Mr Middleditch, baker, met with a serious accident while in charge of a bread delivery van in the vicinity of Mr Attewell’s near Norton Reserve. Mr Kaan, having run out of petrol, had filled the tank with kerosene, and had subsequently drained the kerosene out to replace it with petrol he had secured at Mr Bird’s place, when, as it was getting dark, and being quite sure there was no petrol in the tank he lit a match, with the result that an explosion occurred, which nearly rendered him unconscious, and severely burned him about the face and neck. Not being near a telephone with which to summon assistance, Mr Kaan, though suffering acute pain, filled the tank with petrol and drove three miles to Waimate. On arrival he was almost in a state of collapse, and was conveyed to the Hospital. He is reported to-day to be progressing as well as can be expected under the circumstances.” [Waimate Daily Advertiser, 22 April 1922.]

On 8 September 1922 at Waimate, a kitchen evening was given by the members of the Ladies’ Hockey Club to a popular member, in the person of Miss A. Eade, on the occasion of her approaching marriage. When Alice Eade was presented with a large and varied assortment of kitchen utensils, Mr H. Kaan replied on her behalf. On 27 September, the Young Women’s Bible Class decorated St Paul’s Church with flowers as a token of respect to Miss Eade. Richard Henry Kaan married Alice Goldsworthy Eade at St Paul’s Church on 27 September 1922. He was attended by his brother George and the happy couple received some useful and valuable presents from employers, friends and local residents.

In December 1923, H. Kaan was elected to a management committee to form a motor cycle club at Waimate. It was to be a pleasure club with the aim of the betterment of conditions for motor cyclists. All the while Mrs H. Kaan continued her involvement in hockey. Perry’s Circus was to be located in Kaan Bros’ paddock next to the Waimate railway yards on 18 November 1925. The paddock probably belonged to Harry and George. All three brothers were very involved with horses, but the eldest Jack was long away from Waimate, being a rider at Grand National level. “A most successful dance was held on Thursday night in. the Silver Band Hall, when the Foresters Lodge held their annual ball. There were about eighty couples present. The floor was excellent and the music supplied by Miss Halliday’s Orchestra of four instruments left nothing to be desired. C.R. R.H. Kaan and Mrs Kaan led off the grand march and about 60 couples followed. Members of the Oamaru Football Club attended as guests of the local Union. Supper arrangements were in the hands of Mr. R. H. Kaan.” [Waimate Daily Advertiser, 3 September 1927.] At many Waimate occasions the catering was in the capable hands of Mr. R. H. Kaan. He and his wife were also known for his gifts of cakes on special occasions.

Private R. H. Kaan was a member of the firing at a military funeral at the Waimate Cemetery in June 1932. Mr R. H. Kaan, of Waimate, was the successful tenderer for the daily rural mail delivery in the Waikakahi district in October 1935. In February 1936, the No. 8 Transport Licensing Authority granted R. H. Kaan (Waimate) a continuous goods-service license for the carriage of rural mail, small parcels, and two passengers.

Richard Henry Kaan died at Waimate on 4 September 1966, aged 70 years. Alice had died in November 1958 and, after a service at the Waimate Methodist Church, Harry was buried alongside her in the Methodist section of the Waimate Lawn Cemetery, a services plaque marking his plot. Members of the Waimate Returned Services’ Association attended the funeral of their late comrade. A newspaper acknowledgement notice from his family recorded special thanks to the staff of Waimate Hospital. He had spent his entire life in the Waimate district. He was survived by his son Rangi Henry Kaan, his daughter Betty Goldsworthy Lorimer-Allan, and two grandsons. Harry made monetary bequests to his grandsons and property bequests to his son and daughter. Rangi was his trustee and executor. His Will had been drawn up shortly after his wife’s death, with a codicil signed just two weeks before his own death, which made provision for his widowed daughter to live in and enjoy his house. Two half-brothers of Harry Kaan served in World War One – William Robert Jackson and Alfred John Jackson. In October 1916, Harry’s brother, John Robert Kaan, jockey, Washdyke, single, registered at the Timaru Defence Office. He was called up in 1917. The younger brother of Harry, George Cornelius Kaan, butcher, Waimate, was called up in October 1918 when he became of military age. Rangi Henry Kaan, the son of Harry and Alice, served in World War Two. At least five generations of the Kaan family are buried at Waimate.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 August 2016]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5541 0062381) [02 August 2016]; Timaru Herald, 5 & 6 September 1966 (Timaru District Library) [02 August 2016]; Waimate Cemetery burial records & headstone image (Waimate District Council) [03 August 2016; 04 December 2023]; Waimate Cemetery headstone transcription [03 August 2016]; Waimate Daily Advertiser, 11 March 1910, 9 November 1915, 19 April 1916, 27 November 1919, 20 April 1920, 16 & 24 June 1921, 22 April 1922, 9 & 28 September 1922, 4 October 1922, 18 December 1923, 3 September 1927, Timaru Herald, 16 May 1914, 11 August 1915, 10 October 1916, 16 October 1918, 16 & 21 January 1919, 24 April 1922, 14 June 1932, 24 October 1935, Oamaru Mail, 21 July 1915, 13 November 1915, Otago Daily Times, 15 January 1919, Press, 15 January 1919, 5 February 1936, 28 November 1958, 22 December 1958, 5 September 1966, 3 October 1966 (Papers Past) [14 July 2021; 01 December 2023]; Probate record (Archives NZ Collections Record number TU392/1966) [04 December 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

• KAAN Richard Henry - newspaper clippings (pdf, 89.3 KB updated 16-Jan-2024)

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