Birth

Enlistment Information

Military Service

Embarkation Information

Military Awards

Death

Biographical Notes

Arthur Robert Otway was the youngest in the family of the Reverend Ezra Robert Otway and his wife Mary Ann née Hogg. As a minister Mr Otway moved about the country a great deal, and died in 1896. Arthur was educated at Papanui and Lincoln schools before going on to Christ’s College, where he did very well. He had lived for some years in Timaru and was the drapery manager for Ballantyne and Co, Timaru, when he enlisted. After the war he pursued on a career in radiography, to which he had been introduced in the course of his war service. In 1920 Arthur married Timaru-born Stella Frances Wigley. While Arthur died and was buried at Wellington, Stella died at Wellington but is buried with her family at Timaru. On 6 September 1922 an impressive ceremony took place on the premises of Messrs J. Ballantyne and Co., Ltd., Timaru, which goes to prove that the patriotic services during the the war of the firm’s employees is far from forgotten by principals or fellow workers. A most artistic memorial was unveiled by the Mayor, in the presence of relatives of the fallen and the men who saw service. The local manager explained that they had wished to pay tribute to the seven brave young men who left the staff to serve King and country, two of whom had made the supreme sacrifice. Though the tablet would not be exposed to the public gaze it would remain for many generations as silent witness to all who worked in the building of what they owed to the men who fought and died in defence of those principles of liberty and justice which were the basis of our civilisation. The central plate, bearing the names of the men who served, was of beaten copper, while surrounding the plate was a massive oak frame, beautifully carved, and surmounted by a carved laurel branch. It carried the following inscription: “To the memory of the men of this house who served in the Great War 1914-1918”, followed by seven names, including two who made the supreme sacrifice, and among the others Arthur Robert Otway. The ceremony, which was a most impressive one, terminated with the sounding of the “Last Post” by Leslie Thompson.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [09 February 2020); NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [10 February 2020]; School Admission record [10 February 2020]; Karori Cemetery headstone transcription [10 February 2020]; Timaru Herald. 7 September 1922 (Papers Past) [09/02/2020]

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Researched and Written by

Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG

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