Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John Thomas Roper was born on 7 March 1891 at Timaru, the eldest son of David James and Eleanor (née Feehily) Roper. David and Eleanor who married in 1889 had two daughters and three sons, all born at Timaru. The two younger sons were baptised Roman Catholic at Timaru. The younger daughter died in 1893 at 7 months and the elder in 1904 at 14 years. Eleanor Roper, the children’s mother, died in 1899. David married Marie (Mary) Seyb in 1900, and eight children were born to them, while Mary’s daughter also took the Roper name. David James Roper who was for many years a compositor with the Timaru Herald and afterwards a caretaker at the Century Commemoration Baths, died in June 1911, leaving eight sons and three daughters of his two marriages, all aged twenty and younger with the youngest born a month after his death. When administration of his estate was granted to his widow in 1922, his three surviving sons of his first marriage and eight children of his second marriage were named and their ages given. John probably attended the Sacred Heart Boys’ School and the Marist Brothers School, which schools his youngest brother Leslie and his half-brothers attended, while his sister and half-sisters attended the Sacred Heart Girl’s School. In April 1908, J. Roper was selected to represent Celtic fourth grade in their football match at Saltwater Creek. Surely John Roper. For the remainder of the 1908 season and into 1909 he continued to play for Celtic fourth grade, then in 1910 he was in the President’s team. In June 1911 he played for the Celtic Thirds in the Seven-a-Side tournament and in 1912 he was in the Celtic third grade team.

On the outbreak of war, John Roper was a labourer for a sheep farmer at Martinborough but his address was in Wellington. Among the men selected in October 1914 to represent the infantry quota of Wellington in the reinforcements to the main Expeditionary Force was J. T. Roper. Some twenty-five men paraded at Lambton Station at 1.45 p.m. on 24 October. He attested on 2 November 1914 at Trentham. Single and Roman Catholic, he named Vincent Roper, Wellington Street, Timaru, as his next-of-kin – surely his brother Vincent David Roper. He belonged to the New Zealand Territorials and had served with the Timaru Rifles. He had been medically examined on 20 October. Standing at 5 feet 6⅛ inches, weighing 137 pounds, and with a chest measurement of 33½-37 inches, he was of fair complexion and had blue eyes and black hair. His sight, hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs were all normal, his limbs and chest well formed, and his teeth good. He was free of diseases, with only slight varicocele. He was vaccinated and in good bodily and mental health.

Private J. T. Roper embarked with the Otago Infantry Battalion of the 2nd Reinforcements, leaving from Wellington on 14 December 1914 and reaching Suez, Egypt on 28 January 1915. He embarked for the Dardanelles at Alexandria on 12 April. In the newspapers from 11 May 1915, the name of 8/1324 Private John Thomas Roper (born at Timaru, son of the late Mr D. J. Roper, of Wellington Street, Timaru), Otago Infantry Battalion, appeared in the thirteenth list of casualties – slightly wounded. He had been wounded - gunshot wounds to abdomen and thigh - at the Dardanelles on 3 May and was admitted to the Hospital Ship Gascon. A few days later [7 May], he was admitted to the 1st Australian General Hospital at Heliopolis. Discharged to Duty at Cairo on 21 June, he rejoined his unit at the Dardanelles on 28 July. Admitted to hospital again in August 1915, he rejoined his Unit at the Dardanelles on 27 August. In October 1915, Mrs Roper, Wellington Street, received word that Private J. T. Roper, Otago Battalion, had been missing at the Dardanelles since 27 September. On 27 August he had still been with his unit. By late December he was reported back with his Battalion. He was still at the Dardanelles when he was granted the temporary rank of Corporal on 4 December 1915. He disembarked at Alexandria on 27 December 1915. A month later at Moascar he was promoted to Corporal. It was on 6 April 1916 that Corporal J. T. Roper embarked for France.

Appointed Temporary Sergeant on 12 June 1917, he relinquished that appointment on 7 July on account of promotion to Sergeant. Having been detached to the 3rd Field Company, New Zealand Engineers, on 21 July 1917, he rejoined his Battalion on 18 August. Casualty List No. 706 issued on 1 November 1917 was a very heavy one – a reflection of the Passchendaele debacle. Reported wounded in Action, for the second time, on 12 October was 8/1324 Sergeant J. T. Roper. The hospital report issued ten days later listed his as a severe case. Having suffered severe gunshot wounds to his left thigh, he had been admitted to No. 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance on 15 October, to No. 44 Casualty Clearing Station the next day [16 October], then to No. 12 General Hospital at Rouen on 18 October (severe shell wound). Embarking for England on 21 October per Hospital Ship, he was admitted to No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Brockenhurst on 22 October. He was transferred to the Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch on 24 November 1917, then after leaving Hornchurch was attached to Strength on 8 December and went on leave until reporting to Codford on 27 December.

Marching out to the 5th Infantry Reserved Brigade on 24 January 1918, he was attached to Strength. He was severely reprimanded and forfeited two days’ pay for overstaying leave at Sling in March 1918. Leaving for France on 20 March 1918, he was transferred to the 2nd New Zealand Entrenching Battalion a week later and was appointed Temporary Quarter Master Sergeant. Relinquishing the appointment of Company Quarter Master Sergeant on 29 August 1918, Roper was transferred to the 1st Battalion, Otago Infantry Regiment. 8/1324 Sergeant J. T. Roper was wounded on 8 October 1918 – gunshot wounds to both thighs - and was admitted to the Casualty Clearing Station/Stationary Hospital. This was the third time he had been reported wounded. Transferred to England per Hospital Ship St Denis on 12 October, he was admitted to Endell Street Military Hospital in the UK on 13 October. He was transferred to the Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch on 11 November 1918. Leaving Hornchurch on leave on 12 December 1918, he reported to Codford on 28 December.

J. T. Roper embarked at London for the return to New Zealand on 25 January 1919. He was admitted to the ship’s hospital on 16 February, with V.D., and discharged on 25 February. Mr V. Roper, Wellington Street, had received advice in late February 1919 that his brother, Sergeant J. T. Roper, was returning by the “Port Melbourne” (Draft 219) which was due to arrive in Auckland about 5 March. John Thomas Roper was discharged on 18 April 1919, no longer physically fit for war service on account of wounds received in action (gunshot wound to thigh). He had served overseas for more than four years in all theatres of war, and was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal.

John Thomas Roper married Emma Dorothy Burrell (Dot) in 1921. Their son, John Burrell Roper, was born on 18 April 1922 [d. 2009]. John and Dot lived for some years in Christchurch where he was a surfaceman with the Railways. About 1935 they moved to the North Island where he was a ganger with the Railways. From the late 1940s he was an inspector and in the 1950s a traffic supervisor. In late December 1942, the engagement was announced of John Burrell Roper, the only son of Mr and Mrs J. T. Roper, of Glen Eden, and Maida Clark, also of Glen Eden. John and Maida married in 1944.

John Thomas Roper died suddenly on 14 May 1969 in Auckland, aged 78 years, and was buried in Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland. There was an inquest into his death. He was survived by his wife Dot, son John Burrell Roper, and four half-brothers and three half-sisters. He was predeceased by his two full sisters and two full brothers, one half-brother and his stepsister. Emma Dorothy Roper died 1 December 1971 and was buried at Waikumete with John. John appointed his wife, Emma Dorothy Roper, as executrix of his Will and bequeathed to her all his property. If she had predeceased him, all would have gone to his son, John Burrell Roper. He gave detailed instructions regarding the handling of his estate. His brother Leslie James Roper who also served in World War One died in 1923, his death resulting from war service. Leslie had registered at Timaru in early August 1916 and left for camp on 23 August. By March 1917 he had been hospitalised. Leslie was probably the returned soldier who took a fit while bathing in Caroline Bay on 18 February 1920. He was rescued, and he recovered, only to die in 1923. John and Dot’s only son, John Burrell Roper, served in World War Two, as did three half-brothers - Albert Edward Roper, Leo Patrick Roper and David Alphonsus Roper. A cousin of John and Leslie – Robert James Roper – also served in World War One, while another cousin – Leonard Adolphus Roper – enlisted.

A photograph of John Thomas Roper has been added to the Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph database.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [01 December 2013]; NZ Defence Force Personnel Records (Archives NZ Ref. AABK 18805 W5550 0099712) [19 February 2019]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [28 July 2014]; Timaru Herald, 30 April 1908, 2 July 1908, 11 August 1908, 23 June 1909, 4 May 1910, 1 June 1911, 12 June 1912, 13 May 1915, 25 & 26 October 1915, 27 December 1915, 5 & 23 August 1916, 24 March 1917, 4 September 1917, 22 & 23 October 1918, 25 & 28 February 1919, 19 February 1920, Evening Post, 23 October 1914, Fielding Star, 11 May 1915, Oamaru Mail, 11 May 1915, Press, 12 May 1915, 27 December 1915, 2 & 13 November 1917, 23 October 1918, 25 February 1919, 24 March 1969, Dominion, 12 May 1915, 25 February 1919, Evening Star, 27 December 1915, Sun, 25 February 1919, Auckland Star, 29 December 1942 (Papers Past) [28 July 2014; 28 December 2015; 11 January 2023; 22, 23 & 24 February 2024]; Waikumete Cemetery record; Waikumete Cemetery headstone image (Find A Grave) [23 March 2024]; Timaru Herald, 15 May 1969 (Timaru District Library) [08 January 2016]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [29/07/2014; 23/03/2024]; Probate record (Archives NZ Collections – Record No. P2230/1969) [24 March 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

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