CAIRNCROSS, Walter John
(Service number 15879)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 6 September 1882 | Place of Birth | Ashburton |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | Age | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Ohape, Temuka | ||
| Occupation | Labourer | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | |||
| Next of Kin | Mrs A. HICKMAN (sister), Lauriston, New Zealand | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | 6th Reinforcements, 3rd Battalion, G Company | ||
| Date | 26 July 1916 | ||
| Transport | Waitemata or Ulimaroa | ||
| Embarked From | Destination | ||
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | |||
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 |
Death
| Date | 11 October 1939 | Age | 57 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Ashburton | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Ashburton Cemetery | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Walter John Cairncross was born on 6 September 1882 (although he stated 1888) at Ashburton, to Isabella Cairncross. Isabel married Thomas Hickman and had a son and three daughters. Agnes Hickman, a half-sister of Walter is probably his nominated next-of-kin.
When Walter enlisted he was a labourer at Ohape, Temuka. On 5 April 1916, the South Canterbury quota for the 15th Reinforcements left by the express for the military camps, the Infantry – including W. J. Cairncross, Temuka - proceeding to Trentham. Before departing Timaru, the men were entertained by the Ladies’ Patriotic Committee at luncheon in the Stafford Tea Rooms. Falling in at the Drill Shed at 3pm, they were addressed by the Mayor, Mr Craigie, M.P., and the Rev. Dean Tubman. The 2nd South Canterbury Regimental Band was in attendance, and the High School Cadets and the Honorary Territorials formed a cordon at the railway station.
Walter John Cairncross died on 11 October 1939 at Ashburton, aged 57 years, and was buried at Ashburton.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [12 August 2020]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [12 August 2020]; Ashburton Cemetery burial record (Ashburton District Council) [12 August 2020]; Timaru Herald, 5 April 1916 (Papers Past) [03 August 2020]
External Links
Related Documents
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Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, SC branch NZSG
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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