McCONNELL, James
(Service number 6/513)
| First Rank | Private | Last Rank | Private |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 09/11/1882 | Place of Birth | Millers Flat, Otago |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Fairlie | ||
| Occupation | Farm labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | 9th NZ Contingent South Africa - 6 months | ||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Catherine McCONNELL (mother), Heriot, Otago; later Fairlie | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterbury Infantry Battalion | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Tahiti or Athenic | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Infantry Regiment | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
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 | 15 August 1921 | Age | 38 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru Hospital, Timaru | ||
| Cause | Disease contracted while on Active Service - tuberculosis | ||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Fairlie Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | Timaru Memorial Wall; Mackenzie War Memorial, Fairlie (2016 additions) | ||
Biographical Notes
James McConnell, who was known as Jim, was born on 9 November 1882 at Millers Flat, Otago, the older son of William and Catherine (née Patrick) McConnell. William who hailed from County Antrim, Northern Ireland, and had married Catherine in 1877 in New Zealand, died in 1893 at Moa Flat, leaving a widow and six little children. Jim was educated at Teviot School and Moa Flat/Ettrick School. He was a farm labourer at Fairlie when he enlisted. He had served for six months with the 9th New Zealand Contingent in the South African War. In 19 14 his nominated next-of-kin was his mother – Mrs Catherine McConnell, Heriot, Otago. J. McConnell was one of twenty men of the Seventh Draft from Timaru which left for the concentration camp at Christchurch on 18 August 1914. Private J. McConnell embarked with the Canterbury Infantry Battalion of the Main Body at Wellington on 16 October 1914. The 77th Casualty List, issueed in mid June 1915, recorded Private James Mconnell, 6/513, among the wounded. It appears that his mother was by this time residing at Fairlie Private J. McConnell, 6/513, arrived back in New Zealand by Draft 222 (“Athenic”) in March 1919, after four years and seven months abroad. His mother was then residing at Fairlie. On 3 August 1921, James McConnell married Ellen Christina McMillan (Christina). On 15 August 1921, James Mc Connell died at the Timaru Hospital, aged 38. The cause of death was tuberculosis contracted on active service. He was interred in the Fairlie Cemetery. Maurice McConnell, son of James and Christina was born in October 1921. James’ brother, William Robert McConnell (Willie), also served, embarking for the Front in December 1914. Following special intercessory services in connection with war, on Sunday, 8 August 1915 at the Fairlie Presbyterian Church, a Roll of Honour was unveiled and the 31 names on it were read out, those of J. McConnell and W. McConnell being among them. The name of J. McConnell is inscribed on the Timaru Memorial Wall and on the Mackenzie War Memorial at Fairlie (2016 additions).
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [23 May 2021]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [23 May 2021]; Fairlie Cemetery burial record (Mackenzie District Council) [23 May 2021]; School Admission record (Alexandra Branch NZSG) [23 May 2021]; Timaru Herald, 19 August 1914, 10 August 1915, 16 August 1921 (Papers Past) [14 February 1918; 22 & 23 May 2021]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
Tell us more
Do you have information that could be added to this story? Or related images that you are happy to share? Submit them here!