Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Robert Guthrie Jamieson was born on 13 October 1896 at Lawrence, Otago. The first-born of Ebenezer Hislop and Robina Macintosh (née Winton) Jamieson, he was named for his paternal grandfather. His Scottish-born father had come to New Zealand in the late 1870s and married Robina Macintosh Winter, a daughter of John Winton who arrived at Port Chlmes in 1848 in the “Phillip Laing”. For some years the family lived at Oamaru, where he attended Oamaru Middle and Oamaru North schools before going to Waitaki Boys’ High School. In about 1913 his parents moved to Waimate, where their two youngest children attended Waimate Main School.

Robert put his age up by two years when he enlisted, probably to make him eligible. A clerk with the Public Works Department in Wellington, single and Presbyterian, he named his father as next-of-kin – E. H. Jamieson, Architect, Wellington. Private Jamieson was appointed sergeant in September 1915 at Trentham Camp. Sergeant R. G. Jamieson embarked with the New Zealand Medical Corps of the 7th Reinforcements, departing from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, on 9 October 1915.

At the annual meeting of the Waimate Scottish Association held in June 1916, the report read, in part – “Our ranks have been further depleted by the departure of many of our younger members for the front and the Society is proud that so many of its younger members have responded to the call of duty. On the Roll of Honour we have to record the names of Lieut. H, E. McGowan, Sergt. Robert Jamieson, Private J. Sutherland, Rifleman W. White, Thomas Mitchell, Privates W. Campbell, J. Campbell, H. L. Cameron, Robert Cameron, David Cameron, R. R. G. Rattray, J. Borthwick, E. H. Jamieson — all members or sons of members. We miss them from our gatherings but congratulate them on having answered the call and we trust to see them safely return.”

3/994 Pte. Robert G. Jamieson returned to New Zealand in mid-March 1918. He had embarked per the “Maunganui” on 2 February 1918. His intended address was initially High Street, Waimate, although that was crossed out. He was discharged on 26 July 1918 and, having served in all the theatres of war, was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The name of Sergt. R. J. Jamieson appeared regularly from 1916 on the Waimate Daily Advertiser Roll of Honour under the sub-title of Answered the Call. Presumably this was Robert Guthrie Jamieson. In 1919 he was at Stratford, again with the Public Works.

Robert married Nellie Myrtle Manchester in 1921 at Palmerston North. They lived there, Robert a commercial traveller. Their son, Thomas Manchester Jamieson, was born on 17 November 1921. He served again in World War Two. In 1946, Robert married Hilda Margaret Cousins. While Robert and Hilda lived at Oakura, Nellie stayed on at Palmerston North. Robert Guthrie Jamieson died on 21 April 1972 at Oakura, aged 75 years. He was cremated at New Plymouth, his ashes interred in the Garden of Remembrance. Hilda died in 1995 and was cremated there too. Nellie also died in 1995. She was cremated and her ashes were interred at Kelvin Grove Cemetery, Palmerston North, with those of their son. Thomas Manchester Jamieson, who had died in 1994, his plot marked with a services plaque. Three generations gave war service – Ebenezer Hislop Jamieson and his son, Robert Guthrie Jamieson, in World War One, and Robert’s son, Thomas Manchest Jamieson, in World War Two.

Archives NZ holds a historical print of Sergeant R.G. [Robert Guthrie] Jamieson. New Zealand Medical Corps. Section H Field Ambulance. 7th Reinforcements. New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Co G.P.O. Wellington.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [January 2015 & 21 July 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [21 July 2022]; School Admission record (Oamaru Branch NZSG) [21 July 2022]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [21 July 2022]; New Plymouth cremation record (New Plymouth District Council) [21 July 2022]; Kelvin Grove cremation & cemetery record [21 July 2022]; Evening Post, 25 September 1915, Waimate Daily Advertiser, 3 May 1916, 27 June 1916, Sun, 13 March 1918 (Papers Past) [18 September 2018; 21 July 2022]

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; Teresa Scott, South Canterbury Genealogy Society

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.