ALLEN, Robert George
(Service number 53299)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Rifleman |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 21/09/1896 | Place of Birth | Waimate, NZ |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 30 January 1917 | Age | 20 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Cranston St, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin | ||
| Occupation | Clerk | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs R Allan (mother), Cranston St, Anderson's Bay, Dunedin | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Expeditionary Force | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 28th Reinforcements Specialists Co, Machine-Gun Section | ||
| Date | 14 July 1917 | ||
| Transport | Waitemata | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington, NZ | Destination | Plymouth, England |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | NZ Rifle Brigade, 3rd Battalion | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Western Front | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | British War Medal & Victory Medal | ||
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 October 1918 | Age | 22 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Le Cateau, France | ||
| Cause | Killed in action | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Cross Roads Cemetery, Fontaine-au-Bois, Nord, France | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | On Memorial wall, Timaru; Timaru South School WW1 Memorial plaque | ||
Biographical Notes
Prior to enlistment George worked on his mother's farm at "Sunnybrook" Cave. He was medically boarded in Timaru 4 May 1917 by Lt Col George Lyon (travelling medical board) and described as weight 147 lbs, chest 35 inches, height 5 foot 5 inches, complexion fair, eyes hazel and hair brown. He served in NZ from 4 May 1917 to 21 Nov 1917. George left for France ex England 20 Mar 1918. Roberts father was born in Scotland and his mother born in Waimate. His attended Willowbridge School in 1904 (given address was Waimate) and Timaru Main School in 1905 (given address as Arthur St, Timaru).
In August 1916 he enlisted in No 2 Coy NZ Artillery as he was then too young for overseas service. Prior to enlistment Robert worked as a clerk for the National Mortgage Company Dunedin. He was medically boarded in Dunedin on 30 Jan 1917 and described as weight 168 lbs, chest 33 1/2 inches, height 6 foot, complexion dark, eyes blue and hair dark. His teeth were satisfactory but he required a filling. He served in NZ from 30 Jan 1917 to 14 Jul 1917 and overseas from 14 Jul 1917 until his death 28 Oct 1918. On his way overseas he was transferred to the "Omrah" at Cape Town and disembarked at Southampton 25 Sep 1917. He arrived in France 22 Nov 1917. His war medals, scroll and plaque were sent to his mother Mrs A S Allan, Cranston Street, Dunedin.
Sources
Cenotaph (July 2013 & October 2014); Archives NZ; New Zealand Society of Genealogists Index Version 5
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Carol Bell, SC branch NZSG & Timaru Herald, Ted Hansen
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
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