VERNON, Walter William
(Service number 38997)
| First Rank | Rifleman | Last Rank | Rifleman |
|---|
Birth
| Date | 5 October 1877 | Place of Birth | Victoria, Australia |
|---|
Enlistment Information
| Date | 14 October 1916 | Age | 39 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Address at Enlistment | Lyttelton | ||
| Occupation | Labourer (E. C. Studholme, Waimate) | ||
| Previous Military Experience | |||
| Marital Status | Single | ||
| Next of Kin | J. VERNON (brother), care of C.P.O., Dunedin; 32a Opoho Road, N. E. Valley, Dunedin | ||
Military Service
| Served with | NZ Armed Forces | Served in | Army |
|---|
Embarkation Information
| Body on Embarkation | New Zealand Rifle Brigade | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit, Squadron, or Ship | Reinforcements, G Company | ||
| Date | 13 February 1917 | ||
| Transport | Mokoia | ||
| Embarked From | Wellington | Destination | Plymouth, Devon, England |
| Other Units Served With | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Last Unit Served With | Rifle Brigade | ||
Military Awards
| Campaigns | Western European | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Service Medals | 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 | 26 September 1949 | Age | 75 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place of Death | Dunedin | ||
| Cause | |||
| Memorial or Cemetery | Anderson's Bay Cemetery, Dunedin | ||
| New Zealand Memorials | |||
Biographical Notes
Walter William Vernon was born on 5 October 1877 in Victoria, Australia, the son of Frederick Vernon. He may well have been the Walter Vernon born in 1878 to Frederick and Elizabeth (née Johnston) Vernon. George Frederick Vernon married Elizabeth Johnston in 1861 in Victoria. They had several children, in cluding, besides Walter, John Vernon born in 1870. John Arthur Vernon was born about 1871 in Australia and died in 1936 at Dunedin. He had been 40 years in New Zealand and had married in 1900, having two daughters, one of whom married John Sylvester McKenzie in 1927. These names feature in connection with Walter William Vernon.
Walter was a labourer for E. C. Studholme, Waimate, when he enlisted on 14 October 1916 at Timaru. Waimate’s quota for the 22nd Reinforcement was farewelled on 18 October 1916. The Brass and Pipe Bands “played the men to the station, where a large crowd was gathered.” The Deputy-Mayor wished them God-speed and a safe return. The Rev. Mr Morrison said that the war was not a picnic; it was a serious matter, before calling for three cheers for the boys, and another three for their mothers. The departing men, W. W. Vernon one of them, cheered as the train steamed out. Single and of Church of England affiliation, he namd his brother as next-of-kin – J. Vernon, care of G.P.O., Dunedin. Rifleman W. W. Vernon embarked with the New Zealand Rifl Brigade, departing from Wellington for Plymmouth, England, on 13 February 1917 by the “Mokoia”. He was discharged on 10 January 1919 and was awarded the British War Medal and the Victory Medal. The name of W. W. Vernon appeared regularly on the Waimate Daily Advertiser Roll of Honour under the sub-title of Answered the Call.
Walter William Vernon died on 26 September 1949 at Dunedin. He was buried in the servicemens section of Andersons Bay Cemetery. Walter was the loved brother of the late John Vernon. His funeral left the residence of his niece, Mrs E, McKenzi,e for the cemetery.
Sources
Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database [04 July 2022]; Andersons Bay Cemetery headstone image & burial record (Dunedin City Council); Waimate Daily Advertiser, 18 October 1916, 30 May 1918, Otago Daily Times, 27 September 1949 (Papers Past) [18 September 2019; 19 & 23 July 2022]
External Links
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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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