MASON, Arthur
(Service number 13/273)
| First Rank | Trooper | Last Rank |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 10 January 1887 | Place of Birth | Dunedin |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 8 September 1914 | Age | 27 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | 100 Nelson Street, Auckland | ||
| Occupation | Labourer (for J. J. Craigie, Timaru) | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | Mrs Jeannie MASON, 32 North Street, Timaru; then care of G.P.O., Timaru | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | Main Body | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Auckland Mounted Rifles | ||
| Date | 16 October 1914 | ||
| Transport | Star of India or Waimana | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Suez, Egypt |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | |||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Balkan; Egyptian | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 1914-1915 Star; British War Medal; Victory Medal | ||
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 | 21 January 1954 | Age | 67 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Auckland | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Cremated & ashes interred Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Arthur Mason was born on 10 January 1887 at Dunedin, the eldest son of John Philip Mason (Phil) and his second wife, Jane (Jeannie) née Mercer. Along with his siblings, he was educated at Mornington School, Dunedin. His youngest sister, Lily, transferred to Timaru Main School in 1913. Their mother had moved to Timaru after their father died on 18 April 1912 at Dunedin. Jeannie Mason, who was about nineteen years younger that her husband, died on 19 November 1928 at her daughter Daisy’s (Mrs Scales) residence, Timaru.
When Arthur enlisted on 8 September 1914, he named his mother as next-of-kin – Mrs Jeannie Mason, 32 North Street, Timaru, and later care of G.P.O., Timaru. He was single and a labourer for J. J. Craigie, Timaru, although he gave an address of 100 Nelson Street, Auckland. Trooper A. Mason embarked with the Auckland Mounted Rifles of the Main Body, departing from Wellington for Suez, Egypt, on 16 October 1914. Arthur Mason suffered permanent disability from a permanent wound to his eye. He returned to New Zealand on 6 June 1916 by th “Athenic”. Discharged on 3 July 1916, he was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, the British War Medal and the Victory Medal for his service at the Balkans and in Egypt.
Arthur Mason died on 22 January 1954 at Auckland, aged 67 years. He was cremated, his ashes being interred in the Service Persons Area of Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland. Two brothers of Arthur – Charles and Harry – also served in World War One, while two half-brothers were listed on the Reserve Rolls.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museumm Cenotaph Database [17 July 2022]; NZ BDM Indexes (Department of Internal Affairs) [17 July 2022]; School Admission records (Dunedin Branch NZSG) [17 July 2022]; Waikumete Cemetery headstone & burial record (South Canterbury Branch NZSG records) [17 July 2022]; Timaru Cemetery headstone image (Timaru District Council) [17 July 2022]; Evening Star, 19 April 1912, Otago Daily Times, 19 April 1912, Timaru Herald, 20 November 1928 (Papers Past) [17 July 2022]
External Links
Related Documents
No documents available.
Researched and Written by
Teresa Scott, Teresa Scott, South Canterbury Genealogy Society
Currently Assigned to
Not assigned.
Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License unless otherwise stated.
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