Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Thomas Winter, known as Tom, was born on 21 October 1895 at Wyndham, the ninth child and fifth son in the family of William John and Mary (née Templeton) Winter. He entered Menzies Ferry School in 1906, his immediately older brother James and his younger brothers William and Frank all entering in the same year. Thos. Winter, of Menzies Ferry School, was successful in the examinations for the proficiency certificate in 1911. His father, William John Winter, died on 20 December 1911 at his residence, Menzies Ferry and was buried at Wyndham Cemetery (of which he was a trustee). An old and respected resident of the district, he left a widow, seven sons and three daughters. At his death, he was chairman of Menzies Ferry School and consequently, there was little or no formal ceremony at the school break-up. Tom had actually left school in July of that year and had practically no coaching for his proficiency examinations. “An extraordinary accident happened to a lad of 16 named Thomas Winter, at Menzies Ferry the other day. He was present when sheep were being shorn. One of them broke away, and he tried to stop it by stretching out his foot against the pen. The animal came against his leg with such force as to break the bone below the knee. Dr Baird attended to the injury.” [Mataura Ensign. 6 January 1912. Ref. Southland Times. 6 January 1912.] T. Winter entered the 100 Yards event at the Edendale Sports Society’s 1913 Christmas Day fixture, assigned a handicap of 3 yards. In 1914, it was the 880 Yards he entered, his handicap being 35 yards.

Thomas Winter underwent the medical examination at Fairlie on 17 November 1915. He was 5 feet 4½ inches tall, weighed 130 pounds, and had a chest measurement of 31-34½ inches, with a fair complexion, blue eyes and fair hair. While his sight in his right eye was poor, that in his left eye was good, as were his hearing, colour vision and teeth. His limbs and chest were well formed, and his heart and lungs normal. He was free from diseases and was in good bodily and mental health. He had had pleurisy seven years prior. On enlisting at Trentham on 15 December 1915, Thomas Winter named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Mary Winter, Menzies Ferry, Southland. Although his address was Fairlie, he was a labourer for A. Kennedy, bricklayer, Timaru. He was single and Presbyterian, and had served with the Senior Cadets, being discharged when he was above age. Rifleman T. Winter embarked with the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 3rd Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, departing from Wellington on 6 May 1916 per the “Navua” and disembarking at Suez, Egypt on 22 June. Embarking at Alexandria for overseas on 26 July, he disembarked at Southampton on 7 August and was posted to C Company at Sling. He proceeded overseas to France from Sling on 10 October 1916 and joined his Battalion from Base Depot on 29 October.

On 7 April 1917, in the Field, he was deprived of three days’ pay for being late on parade and improperly dressed. On 17 August 1917, he went on leave to the UK. Admitted to the Military Hospital at Shorncliffe with scabies on 3 September 1917, he was transferred to the Convalescent Depot at Hornchurch ten days later, then discharged to London on 28 October. It was 4 November 1917 when he rejoined his Unit from hospital and leave in the UK. On 10 November, however, he was awarded seven days’ Field Punishment No. 2 and forfeited two day’s pay for overstaying his leave in the UK. As of 2 February 1918, he was with his Unit in France. On 1 March 1918 he was detached to the Corps Signalling School of Instruction, rejoining his Unit on 9 April. He was penalised again in June 1918. Detached to the 3rd Army Camp on 14 October 1918, he rejoined his Unit on 1 November. He went to the UK on leave again on 24 November 1918. Just three days after rejoining his Unit – on 29 December 1918 – he was admitted to No. 3 New Zealand Field Ambulance, sick – pyrexia (fever) of unknown origin. He was able to rejoin his Unit on 2 January 1919. Detached to the UK on 4 February 1919, he marched into the Otago Provincial Detachment (at Sling Camp awaiting a ship home) on 15 February. Following his service in Western Europe, Thomas Winter served with the Army of Occupation from 1918 till 1919. All was good when he was medically examined before embarkation at Sling on 8 March 1919 and again on the “Carpentaria” on 20 April. Leaving from London on 2 April 1919, the “Carpentaria” (Draft No. 247), which was due at Lyttelton about 17 May 1919, brought home 13161 T. Winter, of Menzies Ferry. In the event, he went to Wyndham. He was discharged on 16 June 1919, on the termination of the Period of Engagement, and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. He had given over three years of service overseas.

Thomas returned initially to Albury where he engaged in labouring work for a few years. His sister Sarah married James Wood, a returned serviceman, in 1919 and settled at Albury, another sister Eliza living with Sarah at Albury and in Timaru for many years. Frank, too, was there at Albury for a time. Mr Thomas Winter (Albury) was successful in the land ballot for soldiers which took place on 27 May 1920. He drew Section 1s, 707 acres in the Wairuna Settlement (South Otago). It appears that he did not take up the land. In September 1919, Mrs Mary Winter and her three daughters (Mary, Eliza and Sarah) transferred their Menzies Ferry section to James Winter (son and brother). Thomas moved to Riverton in the mid-1920s and lived with his mother and oldest sister Mary until his mother died on 10 November 1926 at her South Riverton residence. A kindly lady, she left a family of six sons and three daughters. One daughter had died in infancy and one son had lost his life at Passchendaele in the Great War. In late April 1928, the Wyndham Girls’ Hockey Cub held a most successful and enjoyable euchre party and dance in the Town hall, and there was T. Winter. In July of the same year, he attended the annual ball of Alma Lodge No. 24 I.O.O.F Wyndham in the Town Hall, and in August the Old Timers’ ball in the Wyndham Town Hall. In November 1929, Thomas Winter won a travelling rug in the competitions conducted as part of the carnival. About 1930 Thomas moved to Invercargill, and would visit Wyndham on occasion, such as the successful and enjoyable ball held under the management of the Wyndham Loyal Orange Lodge in July 1930. T. Winter (Menzies Ferry) – was this Thomas? - and several others of the Winter family (possibly brother Robert, nephews and nieces) were present at a twenty-first celebration n the Menzies Ferry Hall at the beginning of April 1938.

There at Invercargill Thomas Winter attested on 12 July 1940 for Home Service in World War Two. He was then a freezing worker (Makarewa Freezing Works), residing at 177 Elles Street, Invercargill, and 44 years 263 days of age. Medically examined on 11 July 1940, he was in good condition except for deterioration in his right eye. He had “various” experience with horses and experience with a motorcycle. While he was at the Military Camp at New Brighton, a visual examination was conducted on 21 August 1944 after he complained of close work, reading etc. blurring. Lenses were made for reading and close work. In 1947 he required service issue lenses for distance and reading and repair to his spectacles (frame). As of 13 July 1945, his nominated next-of-kin was his brother – Mr Robert Winter, (Saddler), Wyndham.While in 1944 and 1945 he moved between Invercargill, Burnham and Christchurch, throughout 1947 and 1948 he was stationed at Burnham. In March 1948, he was assessed as needing arch supports for flat feet, the problem surfacing in 1947 at Burnham Camp. He stated that he was suffering from sore feet, the cause being service conditions. His Services Gratuity was assessed at £69.10.8. (31 March 1948) for service from 15 July 1940 to 31 March 1946. Discharged on 28 April 1948, Thomas Winter was awarded the War Medal 1939-45 and the N.Z. War Service Medal.

Thomas was an invalid at the Lorneville Infirmary on the outskirts of Invercargill in the late 1940s and early 1950s. By 1957 he had moved to Hanmer, perhaps to be close to his youngest brother Frank and perhaps for treatment? There he was a porter. Thomas (Tom) Winter died on 12 September 1961 at Princess Margaret Hospital, Christchurch, aged 65 years, and was buried at Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch, where a services memorial marks his grave. He had been living at Hanmer in later years and was late of Timaru. Tom was survived by four of eleven siblings – Elizabeth (Betty), Sarah (Mrs Wood), James (Jim) and Frank, as per the death notices. Messages were to go to Kainga, Belfast, where Frank (his next-of-kin) and his wife were living. Thomas died intestate. At the request of Eliza Winter, Sarah Winter, Frank Winter and James Winter, the Public Trustee administered his estate. He left surviving him as next-of-kin (per Administration of Estate) – Frank Winter (brother, adult), Eliza Winter (sister, adult), James Winter (brother, adult), Sarah Wood (sister, adult), John Fullerton Winter (brother, adult), Jean Winter (niece, adult), Isabel Winter (niece, adult), Robert Winter (nephew, adult). The last three appear to be children of Tom’s brother Robert who had died at Wyndham in 1952. Frank Winter testified to the residence (formerly farmer of Wyndham, but late of Timaru, retired labourer), occupation, and date and place of death of Thomas Winter.

William Winter, the sixth son of William John and Mary Winter, and immediately younger brother of Thomas, died of wounds in France on 14 October 1917, just nineteen years old. When he first tried to enlist, he was turned down on account of his extreme youth. James Winter, the fourth son, submitted in January 1917 that he was working his mother’s dairy farm, in conjunction with a younger brother. “Several brothers were at the front.” Several were Thomas and William. In July 1918, James appealed on the ground of undue hardship, saying that he was the only son on the farm, which had been in the family for 30 years, and had a widowed mother and sister depending on him. “He worked 180 acres and milked 47 to 50 cows. Two brothers had gone to the front, one of whom had been killed.” He was granted conditional exemption. Robert Winter, the second son, was granted conditional exemption in October 1918. “He milked 35 cows. The farm consisted of 102 acres – mixed farming. He did all the work himself with the assistance of his wife; had no relations to assist.” It was to George Winter, the third son, that Mrs Mary Winter bequeathed her photograph of the Menzies Ferry War Memorial; to John Winter, the eldest son that she bequeathed Diploma given to her by thw Menzies Ferry War Memorial Committee. She bequeathed the War Medals presented to her late son William Winter, “who was killed in the recent War with Germany”, thus – the large Bronze War Medal to her eldest daughter Mary Winter, the silver War Medal to her son George, and the Gold-washed War Medal to her son Thomas Winter. These items were obviously very precious to her.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 August 2016]; NZ Defence Force Records (Archives NZ ref. AABK 18805 W5922 0124486) [12 August 2016]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [12 August 2016]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery headstone transcription (South Canterbury Branch NZSG records) [12 August 2016]; Ruru Lawn Cemetery burial record (Christchurch City Council) [20 June 2024]; Southland Times, 22 & 23 December 1911, 6 January 1912, 12 January 1917, 3 November 1917, 15 July 1918, 6 May 1919, 20 September 1919, 12 & 16 November 1926, 1 May 1928, 21 July 1928, 11 August 1928, 11 November 1929, 6 June 1930, 23 July 1930, Mataura Ensign, 23 & 29 December 1911, 6 January 1912, 23 December 1913, 24 December 1914, 31 October 1917, 13 July 1918, 2 October 1918, NZ Times, 3 May 1919, Otago Daily Times, 5 May 1919, Otago Witness, 1 June 1920, Western Star, 16 November 1926, Press, 14 September 1961 (Papers Past) [12 August 2016; 15 & 20 June 2024]; Timaru Herald, 20 September 1961 (Timaru District Library) [09 August 2016]; School Admission index [12 August 2016]; Probate record (Archives NZ/Family Search) [12 August 2016]; NZ Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com.au) [21 August 2016; 20 June 2024]; WWII NZ Gazette 1940 [20 June 2024]

External Links

• Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph record
• Military personnel file

Related Documents

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