Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Horace Edward Mewburn was born on 1 October 1894 at Port Chalmers, the only son of William Swan and Ellizabeth (née Barnes) Mewburn. About 1900 William and Elizabeth moved to Waihao Downs where he was a blacksmith. Horace was educated at Waihao Downs School. At the December 1905 school break-up and annual picnic, he gave a solo and received a prize for Standard II drawing. Master H. Mewburn gave a reading at the Waiho Downs Band of Hope gathering at the beginning of September 1908. At the 1908 school prize-giving, he was awarded a special prize for drawing (Std 5) and he contributed to an amusing dialogue. Horace followed his father into rifle shooting with the Waihao Downs Rifle Club. In 1913 he was elected one of the captains of the Waihao Downs Hockey Club.

On 16 November 1915, five young men, who were “leaving the district to fight the battles of their King and country” were accorded an enthusiastic send-off at Waihao Downs. Special mention was made of Mr. H. Mewburn who was referred to as the “baby” of the company although he was the oldest resident there of the five and had grown up amongst them and been looked upon by everyone as a universal favourite. Each received a small token of remembrance in the form of a silver tobacco pouch, and one (a non-smoker) a purse. Three cheers were lustily given, “For they are jolly good fellows,” followed by “Tipperary,” were sung by the crowd, supper was partaken of and dancing was kept up until about 1 a.m. At a Red Cross garden party at Waihao Downs in December 1915, a presentation was made to two local enlisters for the front, one being Horace Mewburn. He was also given a wristlet watch. The Waimate enlisters for the “12ths” left on 12 January 1916. They marched to the railway station, the Brass Band leading the well-wishers. The deputy-Mayor addressed the recruits and public – “Once more we have met to say farewell to another lot of brave lads from our town and country who are going to fight on the side of liberty and justice. . . . . In going forth on their noble errand they are sacrificing everything in order to fight for you and for me.” When the train moved off cheering took place. For the time being, Horace Mewburn had been lost to the Waimate Brass Band also.

Horace, too, was a blacksmith at Waihao Downs, Waimate, when he enlisted with the New Zealand Forces on 12 January 1916 at Tauherinikau. His nominated next-of-kin was his father – W. Mewburn, Waihao Downs, Waimate, South Canterbury. He was already serving with the 2nd South Canterbury Regiment when his name was drawn in the ballot. He was a motor mechanic, single and of Church of England affiliation. He was, however, discharged on 15 March 1916 at Featherston. He was afflicted with varicocele and refused an operation. He was of good character.

So, Horace Edward Mewburn enlisted with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on 10 November 1916 in New Zealand. As a motor mechanic with the Royal Naval Auxiliary Patrol (Motor-Boat Service), he embarked for Devonport, England, on 15 November 1916 per the “Tahiti”. Motor Mechanic H. E. Mewburn served from 1916 till 1919 with the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve on H.M.S. Hermione, Attentive !!! and H.M.S. Arrogant.

A paragraph in the Waimate Daily Advertiser of 27 November 1917 reads - In a letter just received, “Jack” Harrow, who is serving in North Sea with the Motor Boat Reserve, speaks of having met “Bunny” Mewburn at Dunkirk. Mewburn had been on a R.N.A.S. boat taken over from the Motor Boat Reserve, and had experienced a bombardment a few days previous, and had a narrow escape. A shell struck an ammunition wagon on the quay alongside, and he said that railway metals, truck axles, and wheels were flying in all directions, and a piece wcighing perhaps 1 cwt. dropped between him and the quay wall; it missed him by inches. The writer mentions also that Radford from the Premier Garage, Waimate, was stationed at Queenstown, Ireland, and had met quite a number of U-boats. Mewburn was promoted to Chief Motor Mechanic on 1 November 1917.

H. E. Mewburn of Waimate was one of the New Zealanders who participated in the attack on Zeebrugge on 23 April 1918, when the Royal Navy attempted to prevent German vessels leaving by the Belgian port of Bruges-Zeebrugge. Most escaped injury. A number of returning naval men was on board the “Tofua” which was due at Port Chalmers on 27 May 1919. Among the draft was chief motor mechanic H. E. Mewburn. From January 1917, the name of H. Mewburn appeared regularly on the Waimate Daily Advertiser Roll of Honour under the sub-title of Answered the Call.

Horace Mewburn married Doris Stevens in 1924. They lived at Waimate, where Horace had resumed his employment as a motor mechanic. He died on 10 June 1968 at Waimate, aged 73 years, and was buried at the Waimate Old Cemetery with Doris who had died in 1949. The headstone inscription reads – Horace E. Mewburn 1894 – 1968 M.B. 1855. R.N.V.R.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museumm Cenotaph Database [06 July 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [06 July 2022]; UK Royal Volunteer Reserve Service Records Index (Discovery The National Archives, reference 337/97/849); Waimate Cemetery headstone transcription (South Canterbury Branch NZSG) [24 July 2022]; Waimate Daily Advertiser, 19 December 1905, 4 September 1908, 28 December 1908, 14 November 1910, 18 April 1913, 17 November 1915, 17 December 1915, 8, 12 & 13 January 1916, 30 May 1918; Timaru Herald, 9 December 1915, 4 & 8 May 1918, Auckland Star, 19 May 1919 (Papers Past) [18 September 2019; 06 July 2022]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record

Related Documents

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, Teresa Scott, South Canterbury Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.