FITZGERALD, Dennis Patrick
(Service number 21809)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Rifleman |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 11 March 1894 | Place of Birth | Temuka |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 3 May 1916 | Age | 22 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Waiapi, Temuka | ||
| Occupation | Farm hand | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 2nd S. Canterbury Regt. | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mr James FITZGERALD (father), Waiapi, Temuka | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 7th Reinforcements 3rd Battalion, G Company | ||
| Date | 21 August 1916 | ||
| Transport | Mokoia | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Plymouth, England |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | 3rd N.Z. Rifle Brigade | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 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 | 20 April 1975 | Age | 81 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Temuka | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Temuka Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Denis Patrick FITZGERALD was a son of James and Hanorah (Norah, nee SULLIVAN) FITZGERALD. He was baptized Catholic on 26 March 1894 at Temuka. Denis married Catherine Mary SCANNELL in 1929. He was a brother of Michael Joseph who also served in WWI. He served from 3 May 1916; he was discharged on 31 July 1919. On 4 January 1919 he was appointed cook. Denis embarked for NZ on 17 May 1919 per 'Maunganui'. Denis was one of 45 returned soldiers who were presented with gold medals at a most memorable gathering organised by the Waitohi Flat Presentation and Memorial Committee and held in the Waitohi schoolroom in November 1919. an enjoyable concert was provided before the returned soldiers, assembled in the front seats, were thanked and welcomed home. All involved were thanked for their kindness and mementoes of the war and the ladies of Waitohi were thanked for the much-valued parcels sent to the front. After returning from his war service, Denis lived and farmed at Waiapi and later in Temuka, He was accorded RSA honours at his funeral in Temuka. He had died suddenly at home in Temuka, leaving a widow and a family of four.
Sources
Cenotaph Database [31 July 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5537 0040313) [19 March 2014]; TDC Headstone image Temuka Cemetery [05 August 2013]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [07 August 2013]; Catholic Diocese of Christchurch - Baptism index V.1.2 (South Canterbury Branch NZSG Computer Resources) [27 April 2014]; Timaru Herald, 5 May 1916, 12 April 1918, 10 November 1919, Colonist, 9 April 1918, New Zealand, 12 April 1918 (Papers Past) [27 March 2014, 25 July 2014; 15 & 17 September 2014]; Timaru Herald, 22 April 1975 (Timaru District Library) [19 September 2014]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [2013/2014]
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