HARPER, Robert Paul
(Service number 7/517)
| First Rank | Trooper | Last Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 15/05/1887 | Place of Birth | Papanui, Christchurch |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 25 August 1914 | Age | 27 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | (1) Gloucester Street, Christchurch; (2) Tui Hills, Geraldine | ||
| Occupation | Farmer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single, then married. | ||
| Next of Kin | (1) George HARPER (father), Hereford Street, Christchurch; (WW2) Mrs B. O. HARPER (wife), 175 Peterborough Street, Christchurch | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Canterbury Mounted Rifles | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Tahiti or Athenic | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Canterbury Mounted Rifles - New Zealand Machine Gun Corps | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1913-1915 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal; WWII medals | ||
Award Circumstances and Date
London Gazette, 14 January 1916, 4 June 1917, 11 April 1918 - "For distinguished service in the field in connection with military operations culminating in the capture of Jerusalem."
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 | 20 November 1972 | Age | 85 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Timaru | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | |||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Robert Paul Harper, known also as Robin, was the son of Sir George Harper and Agnes Margaret née Loughnan. He was educated at Christ's College. He married Elfrida Aylmer Lyon, of Woodbury, in 1924 in New Zealand. Robert and Elfrida had two sons. After Elfrida's death in 1937 he married Barbara Owen Griffiths and had a son and a daughter. Robert's brother Gerald Gordon Harper was killed in action on 12 August 1916 in Egypt. R. P. Harper of Geraldine was invested with the Distinguished Service Order and the Military Cross by the Governor General in August 1921 at Christchurch.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [25 May 2018]; Temuka Leader, 13 August 1921 (Papers Past) [21 May 2018]
External Links
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