Profile

KEMPTHORNE, Lawrence Neville
(Service number 27308)

Aliases
First Rank Lance-Corporal Last Rank Lance-Corporal

Birth

Date 11/12/1883 Place of Birth Hawera, Taranaki

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment St Andrews
Occupation Farmer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status
Next of Kin E. KEMPTHORNE (father), Beverley Road, Timaru
Religion Church of England
Medical Information

Military Service

Served with NZ Armed Forces Served in Army
Military District

Embarkation Information

Body on Embarkation New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Unit, Squadron, or Ship 17th Reinforcements, J Company
Date 25 September 1916
Transport Devon
Embarked From Destination
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With Canterbury Regiment

Military Awards

Campaigns
Service Medals
Military Awards

Award Circumstances and Date

No information

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

Discharge

Date Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Farmer

Death

Date 23 August 1950 Age 66 years
Place of Death Christchurch
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Ruru Lawn Cemetery, Christchurch
Memorial Reference Area S 1A, Plot 30
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Lawrence Neville Kempthorne was the younger surviving son of Edward and Adeline Euphemia (née Caldwell) Kempthorne. Lawrence wa seducated at Christ's College, Christchurch. Lance-Corporal L. Kempthorne arrived at Port Chalmers per the “Tofua” in May 1919, the South Canterbury men reaching Timaru by special train on 29 May. There was a very large and enthusiastic crowd on the station platform to welcome the men when they arrived at 7.40 pm. Loud cheers erupted, which were “followed by the usual rush of overjoyed relatives and friends to unearth their respective soldier heroes.” The Mayor welcomed them back on behalf of the citizens of Timaru, assisted by members of the Timaru Soldiers’ Reception Committee and ladies of the Patriotic Society. “All ranks were very cheerful, and looked in the pink of condition, and were evidently pleased at their return home.” (Timaru Herald). Lawrence married Mary Elizabeth Buckhurst in 1924.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [20 August 2019]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [20 August 2019]; Ruru Cemetery, Christchurch, record [21 August 2019] Timaru Herald, 30 May 1919 (Papers Past) [12 August 2019]

External Links

Related Documents

No documents available. 

Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

Currently Assigned to

Not assigned.

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