Profile

FAIRBROTHER, Robert Edmund
(Service number 6/451)

Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank Sergeant

Birth

Date Unknown Place of Birth

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment Timaru, New Zealand
Occupation Carter
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Single
Next of Kin E. Fairbrother (Father), Timaru, New Zealand
Religion
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 10th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion, C Company
Date 3 April 1916
Transport Willochra or Tofua
Embarked From Wellington Destination Suez, Egypt
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion

Military Awards

Campaigns Western European
Service Medals
Military Awards Military Medal (MM)

Award Circumstances and Date

Citation: "For the taking of the grid support trench, north west Of Flers, (1/10/1916). After the 2nd Canterbury Battalion had gained their objective in the grid support trench and were consolidating their position, Private Fairbrother stood on the parapet of the trench giving his shoulder as a rest for a Lewis gun. The gunner was subsequently killed. He did this for a considerable amount of time,  Heedless of the danger while a bomb stop was being constructed. Owing to the boldness of these two men a field of fire could be obtained and a large number of the enemy killed than would have been the case had they merely stood in the trench itself." - Londo Gazette, 9 december 1916, Pg 12058, Rec No 244.

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

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Death

Date 16 August 1917 Age
Place of Death Ypres, Belgium
Cause Killed In action
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial, Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium
Memorial Reference
New Zealand Memorials On Memorial wall, Timaru; Waimataitai School War Memorial; Memorial plaque, St Mary's Church, Timaru

Biographical Notes

Son of Mr And Mrs Edmund Fairbrother of York St., Timaru, New Zealand

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph Database [9/9/2013];

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available.

Researched and Written by

Patrina Buchanan

Currently Assigned to

PB

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