Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Henry George Gatchell was the elder son of Nathaniel Henry and Jane (Jean, née McIndoe) Gatchell. He was born on 21 December 1892 at Timaru. Henry and his sisters were educated at Longburn and Linton schools in the vicinity of Palmerston North. At a most successful concert held in December 1900 in aid of the Longburn School funds, there was also the presentation of prizes. Both Henry and his sister Ellen were among the Primers recipients. Both were again successful, in Standard I, when the inspector examined the school pupils in August 1902. At the 1906 prize-giving ceremony in connection with the Linton School, Henry Gatchell was presented with a Standard VI prize, and all his siblings featured in the prize list. The guest speaker “mentioned that the cost of education to the colony was very great and increasing, and urged upon the children the necessity of taking full advantage of the facilities offered to them.”

In August 1910, the Kimbolton Valley Ladies’ return ball was held. Among the men who provided excellent music was H. Gatchell, while Miss Gatchell was one of the M.Cs. Nathaiel and Jane Gatchell and their family had taken up residence in Valley Road, Kimbolton, when they moved from Longburn in 1908. There were probably other occasions when Henry provided musical items. At the Feilding monster garden fete in April 1912, he won the “Tilting the ring” competition. The former private dwelling of Mr Gatchell at Kimbolton, which had been purchased by the Post Office, was caught up in a disastrous fire in the early hours of 13 May 1913. The fire destroyed one side of the main street. H. Gatchell ran second in the single men’s race at the Valley Road settlers’ “day out” in mid-January 1914.

H. G. Gatchell, farmer, Apiti, registered at the Palmerston North recruiting office in July 1916. Just a few weeks later he was called up to proceed to camp with the Infantry on 21 August. Henry George Gatchell had married Pearl Melvina Cock on 8 August 1916 at Kimbolton. So it was that Henry was a farm labourer, married and Presbyterian when he enlisted on 6 October 1916 at Feilding, volunteering for the 22nd Reinforcements for the duration of the war. He named his wife as his next-of-kin – Pearl Melvina Gatchell, Waipiko, Cheltenham. As per the medical examination of 6 October 1916, he stood at 5 feet 7 inches, weighed 10 stone 8 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 31¾-34½ inches. His complexion was dark, his eyes blue, and his hair dark brown. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed. He had had no illnesses or fits, was vaccinated and free from diseases, and was in good bodily & mental health.

In his farewell speech to the Feilding recruits for the 22nd Reinforcements, in October 1916, Councillor G. J. Harford remarked “I want to remind you that to-day is the anniversary of the departure of the men who afterwards became known as the Anzacs. I only hope you will prove — I know you will prove – fit to follow their example and bear their name. I wish you God speed.” The band played lively music, and a hearty send-off was given the recruits, each one receiving a present from the girls of Feilding and the Patriotic Society. One of the recruits who boarded the train was H. G. Gatchell.

Private Henry George Gatchell, 37806, A Company, 22nd Reinforcements, was discharged on 7 December 1916, being of good character but medically unfit for service (rupture). Come September 1917, and Henry G. Gatchell, driver, Valley Road, Kimbolton, who had previously enlisted, was drawn in the Tenth Ballot for the Feilding district. He again enlisted – on 6 September 1917 at Palmerston North. He was then a shepherd at Kimbolton, married and Presbyterian. And he had served for a few weeks with the 22 Reinforcements N.Z.E.F. His medical examination in 1917 recorded a few variations – height 5 feet 5¼ inches, weight 134 pounds, chest measurement 32½-35 inches; complexion fair, hair light brown. But most significant was that he was not in good bodily and mental health and was assessed Class CII. He had been discharged from Trentham on 7 December 1916 for injury to muscle of abdomen and now had weak abdominal muscles.

Henry and Pearl lived in various parts of Manawatu, Henry employed variously as a farm labourer, a driver and a patrolman, and raised a family of four sons and two daughters, their first-born dying in infancy. It was at the Valley Road farmers and settlers tenth annual picnic in February 1919 that H. Gatchell ran third in the married men’s race and first in the men’s potato race. All the while he continued to contribute musical items. H. G. Gatchell incurred a couple of court fines – for driving n the wrong side of the road and for allowing his chimney to catch fire. While Henry was on a pig-hunting expedition in the first weekend of June 1929, he suffered an accidental pea-rifle wound to his arm. The shock was worse than his injuries and after receiving medical attention, he was able to proceed to his home. “Mr. Gatchell stated that beyond being inconvenienced in the use of his right arm, he had nothing to say, except that he had had a lucky escape.” He did compete with the Kimbolton Rifle Club. At the 25th Valley Road settlers picnic in January 1934, H. Gatchell ran third in the married men’s race, while some of his children were also successful in the children’s races. Harry Gatchell was one who provided music for the dancing which continued till the early hours of the morning. There were many opportunities for him and his family to provide dance music at Kimbolton.

In March 1918, Henry’s brother, Edwin Percival (Percy) Gatchell, was called up. He was called for service again in December 1942, as was another brother, Mark Charles Gatchell. Two sons of Henry and Pearl saw service in World War Two – Percival Henry (Percy), who was invalided home in 1941, and Edward Charles (Ted). Charles Stanley Gatchell, a cousin of Henry, died overseas on 11 June 1941, of sickness. Cecil Bertram Gatchell, another cousin, served in World War One, and a third, William John Gatchell, was drawn in a ballot in 1942. And Henry George Gatchell, 404498, served with the Air Force in New Zealand only in World War Two.

Henry George Gatchell died on 11 June 1967 at Hamilton, of Ngaruawahia, aged 74 years. He was buried in the Services section of Ngaruawahia Cemetery, a World War Two plaque marking his grave – N.Z. 404498 Corporal H. G. Gatchell. R.N.Z.A.F. 1939-45 War. Died 11-6-1967 aged 74. Pearl Melvina Gatchell died on 31 January 1980 and was buried in the General section of Ngaruawahia Cemetery. Henry’s parents were also buried at Ngaruawahia – Nathaniel Henry in October 1948 and Jane in February 1954.

Sources

NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Collections – Record number 0043686) [26 October 2023]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [October 2023]; School Admission records (Palmerston north Branch NZSG) [29 October 2023]; Manawatu Standard, 21 December 1900, 20 August 1902, 20 December 1906, 13 May 1913, 18 July 1916, 9 October 1916, 7 June 1928, Manawatu Times, 20 August 1902, 18 April 1912, 18 July 1916, 4 February 1919, 7 June 1928, 27 January 1934, Feilding Star, 31 August 1910, 16 January 1914, 18 July 1916, 10 August 1916, 17 October 1916, 3 September 1917, Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, 26 March 1918 (Papers Past) [20 October 2023]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [29 October 2023; 01 November 2023]; Ngaruawahia Cemetery headstone transcription [29 October 2023]; Ngaruawahia Cemetery headstone image & burial records (Waikato District Council) [01 November 2023]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record

Related Documents

• GATCHELL Henry George - newspaper clippings (pdf, 126.4 KB updated 10-Nov-2023)

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