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Biographical Notes

John Hamilton Sinclair Thomson, who was known as Hamilton, was the youngest of the four sons of John Sinclair Thomson and his second wife, Annie née Gould. He was born on 9 February 1899 at Dunedin. All the children’s births were registered as Thomson, but, like their parents, they frequently used the Sinclair-Thomson name. Mr J. Sinclair-Thomson resigned from his position as manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Dunedin in November 1907. as he intended leaving for England with his family. Mr and Mrs Sinclair-Thomson also had a residence at Goodwood north of Dunedin, where they would spend six weeks in the summer. This was not his first trip to the Old Country nor the last. Passengers on the “Ruapehu” from England to New Zealand at the end of January 1910 included Mr and Mrs J. Sinclair-Thomson, Miss Sinclair-Thomson [their only daughter Kitty] and Master Sinclair-Thomson [their youngest son John]. In April 1910 Mr Sinclair-Thomson resigned from his position on the council of the Otago Acclimatisation Society as he intended settling in South Canterbury. By mid-May the South Canterbury Hunt was meeting at his Wainui property, Winchester. Both Mr and Mrs Sinclait-Thomson were soon involved in their usual community activities and social life. Hamilton’s early education may have been privately in Dunedin. He attended Waihi Boys’ Preparatory School near Winchester and Christ’s College in Christchurch.

Mr, Mrs, and Miss Sinclair Thomson, of Geraldine, left for England in May 1915, to be nearer their family. Their youngest son of the family, John Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson, had already gone Home. While the family was in England, the second son, Colin Sinclair Thomson married (on 26 May 1915 at All Souls, Westminster, England) and their only daughter, Miss Kitty Sinclair Thomson, married a New Zealand serviceman in 1916. By the end of November 1918 Mr J. Sinclair-Thomson was thinking of returning to New Zealand. He did return by the steamer Oxfordshire in January 1919. As a member of the War Contingent Association, he had done much valuable work in England. ‘He will be much missed in New Zealand circles here, for, throughout the war, he has been an unostentatious and generous supporter of every effort for the welfare of “the boys.”’ Both Mr and Mrs Sinclair-Thomson took an active part in the voluntary work at Walton Hospital.

But John Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson did not return. Like his brother Alastair, he had joined the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louisa’s) and served from 1918 at least, although he was under-age. On 18 June 1923, J. H. Sinclair Thomson, of Mount Walker, Four Peaks, Geraldine, Canterbury, New Zealand, applied for his medals - the Victory Medal and the British War Medal.

John Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson married Alice Rachel Elworthy (known as Rachel) on 16 September 1924 at St Mary’s, Timaru. A wedding of much interest was solemnised in St Mary s Church yesterday afternoon, between Miss Rachel Elworthy, elder daugliter of Mr and Mrs Arthur Elworthy (Holme Station, Pareora), and Mr Hamilton SinclairThomson, son of Mr and Mrs Sinclair Thomson (“The Crossing,”) Geraldine. The ceremony was performed by his Grace Archbishop Julius (grandfather of the bride), assisted by the Ven. Archdeacon J. A. Julius (the bride’s uncle). The Church was most beautifully decorated with spring flowers and arum lilies. The service was fully choral with special choir, Mr Vine presiding at the organ. Thus reported the Timaru Herald of 17 September 1924. The two tiny train-bearers, Jose Neill and Margaret Macdonnld, looked sweet in dainty petal frocks of powder-blue georgette, edged with silver, silver sashes, shoes and socks, and wreaths of small blue flowers encircled their heads. Little Jose Neill was a niece of Hamilton. The reception was held at Holme Station. A son, John Alastair Sinclair-Thomson, was born on 8 January 1926 at Mount Walker, Geraldine. In February 1926, the residence and contents of Mr and Mrs Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson at our Peaks were destroyed by fire. By 1930 they were living in Park Lane, Timaru. Later they resided at Hampton House, Le Cren’s Terrace.

Hamilton engaged in many community activities and organisations. He was a witty speaker and vocal in local matters. Lt. J. H. Sinclair-Thomson was one of those present at the first social function held by the newly-formed Geraldine Ex-Servicemen’s Association in September 1927. The association was primarily formed to keep alive Anzac Day. They would probably meet only once a year. Toasts were honoured, a roll call taken, and entertainment provided. Lieutenant J. H. Sinclair-Thomson (Timaru), late Princess Louise’s Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders, was appointed judge of dress for the New Zealand Highland Pipe Band contest which was held in Timaru in 1935. He played squash and was president of the Timaru Squash Raquets Club. He also served as president of the Real Estate Institute. He was secretary of the S.P.C.A. and involved with the Chamber of Commerce. He was acting secretary of the South Canterbury Returned Soldiers’ Association and interim secretary of the South Canterbury Patriotic War Relief Society.

Both Hamilton and Colin answered the call in the Second World War. In response to an appeal by the Prime Minister in 1939, “in the interests of national defence, numerous ex-servicemen offered their services and the recent outbreak of war stimulated volunteers, with a result that two companies of the National Military Reserve, comprising nearly 200 men, have been formed in Timaru for local defence . . . . Although only formed about five weeks ago, weekly parades have been held, and those qualified to judge state that the men have reached a high degree of efficiency. Imbued with the spirit of comradeship which was typical of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, the men have taken up the work with enthusiasm, and they found very little difficulty in mastering the new technique of “form threes” instead of “form fours.” and they have again become accustomed to handling their rifles.” There as a platoon commander of B company was Lieutenant J. H. Sinclair-Thomson. “The men have carried out shooting practice both on the miniature range in the Timaru Drill Shed and at Patiti Point, and a good standard of marksmanship has been shown. At the moment the companies are working to a schedule of training, and part of the scheme will consist in occupying defensive positions on the waterfront.” J. H. Sinclair-Thomson, 31137, served with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Residing at Timaru, he named his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs Alice R. Sinclair-Thomson. He embarked in 1940. “Please convey to your executive and members my very sincere thanks for their kind thoughts and very acceptable Christmas parcel which arrived in good order and condition,” wrote Captain H. Sinclair Thomson, on December 15, 1940, formerly of Timaru, who is at present serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in England, in a letter which was received at a meeting of the committee of the South Canterbury Returned Soldiers’ Association last night. “All goes well here,” continued the writer. “The days are short and the nights long, and the night bomber is still with us, but the Albanian and Egyptian news has been a great tonic to the people of this country who are just the toughest proposition imaginable. What the civilian population of this country are taking without grousing has to be seen to be believed, and is a wonderful inspiration to those of us who are fortunate enough to be here.” [Timaru Herald. 5 March 1941.] On Armistice Day 1941 in London, Captain J. H. Sinclair-Thomson represented the New Zealand Expeditionary Force when a wreath was laid on the cenotaph on behalf of all the Dominion forces of the present war. Captain Sinclair-Thomson was promoted to the rank of major in March 1943.

John Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson died on 11 February 1989 at Christchurch, two days after his 90th birthday. He was predeceased by his wife, Rachel, and survived by his son and a daughter (Sally). His father died on 1 September 1928 at his residence, “The Crossing”, Geraldine. Mrs Annie Sinclair-Gould died in 1940 at “The Crossing”. Hamilton’s three older brothers all served in the war. Kenneth Sinclair-Thomson, who was killed in action on 3 March 1915. Kenneth had given up his medical studies to go follow a career as a soldier, obtaining a commission in the Indian Army. He had been at the front for only a short time when he lost his life. George Alastair Sinclair-Thomson (known as Alastair), who had gone Home in the early months of the war and obtained a commission in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, was killed in France on 21 July 1916. Colin Sinclair-Thomson had a life-long career with the Royal Navy, with which he served throughout the war. John Hamilton Sinclair-Thomson’s name is recorded in the Christ’s College Roll of Honour for both the 1914-1918 War and the 1939-1945 War.

Redmond Barry Neill was the serviceman who had married their sister Kitty in 1916. Redmond who had left with New Zealand Forces was transferred to the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Kitty and Redmond’s oldest son, Patrick Fyans Sinclair Neill, was born in 1917 in England and came to New Zealand with his parents after the Armistice. Having left for Sandhurst in 1935, he was gazetted to the Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1937. Unfortunately, he had to be invalided to England from Malta in 1938 and subsequently returned home, dying at the family farm, Barrosa, Mount Somers, in June 1943. In 1939, his sister Josephine Hester Neill married Warner Derrick Westenra who was to lose his life in 1941 in Libya. Josephine married again in 1945. Two other sons of Kitty and Redmond served in World War Two, Kenneth Percival Fyans Neill who was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross, and Gordon Barry Fyans Neill. Lyonel Clare Fyans Neill of Albury, South Canterbury, who lost his life in 1917 while serving with the Royal Flying Corps, was a nephew of Redmond Barry Neill.

Sources

NZ BDM Indexes (Department of internal Affairs) [18 January 2022]; Press, 5 June 1896, 17 & 26 September 1924, Otago Witness, 24 April 1907, West Coast Times, 21 November 1907, NZ Herald, 31 January 1910, Otago Daily Times, 16 April 1910, Timaru Herald, 19 May 1910, 17 September 1924, 9 January 1926, 9 January 1935, 13 October 1939, 11 November 1939, 12 December 1939, 26 February 1940, 5 March 1941, 19 March 1943, Star, 28 April 1924, Ashburton Guardian, 24 February 1926, 26 February 1940, Temuka Leader, 10 September 1927, 4 September 1928, Gisborne Herald, 13 November 1941, Evening Post, 8 April 1942 (Papers Past) [19, 20 & 21 January 2022]; Geraldine Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council [19 January 2022]; WWI Medal Card (UK Archives per ancestry.com.au) [20 January 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record

Related Documents

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