Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

John, youngest son of James & Margaret Flemington (nee Bryson), was born at Oamaru on 6 October 1895. His parents were both born in Scotland. Employed as a ploughman by Mr W. Bain, at Fairlie, he enlisted on 23 August 1915 as a Rifleman with the 1st Battalion of the NZ Rifle Brigade, and gave his address as PO Box 87, Fairlie. He was described as being single, of the Presbyterian faith, 5 foot 6 inches tall, his chest measuring 34–36 ½ inches, weighing 147 lbs, having a fair complexion, grey eyes, hair dark brown, and his teeth were good. He nominated as next of kin, his mother, Mrs M. Sansom of Kiritaki, Oringi, later of Painter’s Lane, Fitzroy, New Plymouth, and understated his birth year as 1894, which would have made him 20, old enough for overseas service. He embarked from Wellington on 13 November 1915, aboard the Willochra or Tofua, with the 2nd Reinforcements of 1 Battalion, NZ Rifle Brigade, E Company, for Suez, Egypt, arriving at Alexandria on 20 December 1915. After Egyptian service, where he was admitted on 14 March 1916, to No.4 Auxiliary Hospital with measles, he embarked for France on 6 April. On 5 May 1917, he was promoted to Lance Corporal. Wounded in action on 17 August 1917, and admitted to No.3 NZ Field Ambulance. On 18 August he was sent to No.2 Australian Casualty Clearance Station, then on 19 August to the 7th Canadian General Hospital, then on 23 August to the 6th Convalescent Depot, and finally to the No.5 Convalescent Depot on 26 August. On 16 September he was finally released from hospital to rejoin his unit. Further promotions followed - Corporal on 6 October 1917, and Sergeant six days later, on 12 October. On 8 December 1917, he was detached to the Royal Flying Corps, where he attended a Lewis Gun course, and rejoined his unit on 15 December. On 29 April 1918, he was nominated by the General Officer Commanding, NZEF, for officer training, and on 10 May, left France to attend the Cadet Battalion Officers course at Oxford, England. Promoted to Second Lieutenant on 7 October, he returned to France on 16 October, rejoining the NZ Rifle Brigade, D Company. On 10 November 1918, he was appointed as Lewis Gun Officer to 1 & 3 NZ Rifle Brigades. After serving in Germany with A Group, NZEF, he returned to Sling Camp, England, on 3 February 1919, and posted to the Wellington Regiment. On 18 April he boarded the SS Tofua for his return to New Zealand, arriving home on 29 May. He was finally discharged from the army on 27 June 1919. On 24 June 1920, he was posted to the Retired Officers List. For his service, John was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal. Two of his brothers also served during this time: Gunner George Harold Pollock (no.11/2197), NZ Field Artillery, who was killed in action in Belgium on 12 October 1917, and Corporal Albert Hugh Pollock (no.20414), of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, who served in the Egyptian theatre from 1916 to 1918. In 1919, John was working back in Fairlie as a labourer. On 21 May 1921 he married Miss Anna Roberta Snushall. In July 1929, the NZ Land Board approved the transfer of Section 1, Block V, Tengawai S.D. from Samuel Thomas Snushall to John Hildred Pollock and Agnes Sangster. In 1938, he was still farming at Fairlie. During World War Two John served in the Home Guard: on 1 August 1941, Lieutenant J.H. Pollock, sheep farmer of Popular Downs, Fairlie, was posted to the McKenzie Battalion, to command the Kimbell Platoon, Albury. Then, on 1 July 1942, he was posted as second in command of A Company, Geraldine Battalion, ex McKenzie Battalion. On 1 December 1942, he was living at Peel Forest Road, Rangitata, and was posted from the Geraldine Battalion to the Opihi Battalion. He was reposted again, this time back to the McKenzie Battalion (ex Opihi Battalion), on 15 June 1943. Finally, on 1 January 1944, he was posted to the Reserve of Officers. From 1946 to 1957 he was in the Kokoamo area of Oamaru employed as a station manager and farmer, and from 1963, was back in Oamaru, listed as being retired. John's wife Anna died in August 1968, and he himslef died at Oamaru on 12 December 1973. They are buried together in the Oamaru Lawn Cemetery.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotpah Database (August 2015); Military Personnel file at NZ Archives (August 2015); Papers Past at http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz: The Press 26 July 1929 "Land board monthly meeting" (2 September 2015); Ancestry at http://search.ancestry.com.au/cgi-bin/sse.dll?gl=allgs&gss=sfs63_home&new=1&rank=1&msT=1&gsfn=john%20hildred&gsfn_x=1&gsln=pollock&gsln_x=1&MSAV=1&cpxt=1&cp=14&catbucket=rstp (2 September 2015); New Zealand ANZACs in the Great War 1914-1918 at http://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=206473 (2 September 2015); An image of Pollock appears on My Heritage at http://www.myheritage.com/photo-1000040_55123521_55123521/jack-pollock (2 September 2015)

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Ted Hansen, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.