Profile

KIRKE, Charles Vere
(Service number 15187)

Aliases
First Rank Private Last Rank Sergeant

Birth

Date 01/08/1887 Place of Birth Kelso, Otago

Enlistment Information

Date Age
Address at Enlistment C/o R. SANDILANDS, 64 Queens Drive, Musselburgh, Dunedin
Occupation Sheep farmer
Previous Military Experience
Marital Status Married. One child.
Next of Kin Mrs G. A. KIRKE (wife), No. 1 Rugby Street, Highfield, 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 15th Reinforcements, Otago Infantry Battalion, D Company
Date 26 July 1916
Transport Waitemata or Ulimaroa
Embarked From Destination
Other Units Served With
Last Unit Served With 2nd Battalion Otago

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 6 June 1919 Reason

Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses

Post-war Occupations

Sheep farmer

Death

Date 19 November 1973 Age 86 years
Place of Death Timaru
Cause
Notices
Memorial or Cemetery Fairlie Cemetery
Memorial Reference Block A9, Plot 3
New Zealand Memorials

Biographical Notes

Charles Vere Kirke, born on 1 August 1887 at Kelso, Otago, was the older son of John Ambrose Hodge, known as Kirke, and his second wife, Isabella Pringle née White. John adopted his mother’s maiden name. Charles was educated at Christ’s College, Christchurch. His mother died in 1911 and his father in 1915. Charles married Gertrude Amy Sandilands on 5 March 1913 at Dunedin. A child who may have died in infancy was born in 1914 and a son, John Mervyn Kirke (registered Mervyn George John), was born on 31 May 1915 at Tapanui. Charles was a sheep farmer when he enlisted, nominating his wife as next-of-kin – Mrs G. A. Kirke, No 1 Rugby Street, Highfield, Timaru. C. V. Kirkland, 15187, of Timaru, returned to New Zealand per the “Kia Ora”, embarking at Liverpool in March 1919, the draft being due at Lyttelton on 7 May 1919. Charles died on 19 November 1973, at Timaru, of Glenwood Home, aged 86 years, and was buried at Fairlie Cemetery.

Sources

Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [27 June 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [27 June 2020]; Salisbury Park Crematorium record [30 June 2020]; Fairlie Cemetery burial record (Mackenzie District Council) [30 June 2020]; New Zealand Times, 26 April 1919 (Papers Past) [27 June 2020]

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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