BIRCH HILL STATION WWI MEMORIAL RIDE

The 10 Men -

listed on the monument who

  worked on the station and left to serve in WWI  ...

 

10 men left working for Colonel E B Millton on his farm Birch Hill Station (Rangiora) to serve in WW1.  Some returned home, some died overseas.  Six are named on the Cust Honours Board : HB Bertram, MJ Fitzgibbon, JT Ford, M Pavelka, J Tait and WJ Thompson.   

 

BRITTAN  Henry Bertram  (Bertie)   (army serial no. 7/942 – Lance Corporal)

Bertie was born 9th Dec 1889, son of Francis Henry and Florence Laura Brittan from Christchurch and attended Christchurch Boys High School.  He was a member of the Cust Oddfellows Lodge 1909.  At 28 years, he left Birch Hill to enlist in Dec 1914.  He joined Canterbury Mounted Rifles 4th Regiment and 16th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion.  At war he recognised a horse named Jack from Birch Hill and said ‘it was as wild as ever’’.  He was reported as missing Gallipoli Aug 1915, aged 29 years. There is a memorial for him at Hill 60 (NZ) in Turkey. War medals were sent to his father.  Brother Edward Guise Brittan left Mt Parnassus to enlist and was killed the same day aged 24.  Brother Harold Rolleston Brittan also died in WW1.  Older brother Francis Arthur Brittan also fought WW1 but was recalled home. 

 

BURKE  Patrick  (army serial no. ? 21200 - Private)
Cannot find info stating this is the correct P Burke from Birch Hill but taking that it is, his details are : Patrick was a farmhand before enlisting May 1916 and was later attached with the Auckland 1st Battalion Regiment.  His next of kin was sister Mary Burke from Kerrytown, Temuka (she later moved to Waimak Road, Styx, Christchurch).  Patrick was killed in action October 1917 aged 30 years at Ypres, Belgium.  His name is on the Timaru and Geraldine War Memorials.

 

COOMBS  Herbert  (army serial no. 21659 - Private)  (spelling incorrect on plaque)      
Herbert worked as a Carrier for E B Millton and his last address before the War was High Street in Rangiora.  His mother, Mrs E Coombs had lived at Sandyford Street in Sydenham, Christchurch.  In the War he was attached to the 2nd Battalion of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment and 16th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry.  He was a Private and rose to temp Lieut Colonel.  On 20th Jan 1917 there was an accident which left his left arm severely injured.  Herbert said he was shot by a sniper – the Court disputed this and charged him with careless use of a weapon but this was not proven.    After enlistment, Herbert was in NZ May to August 1916 before going to foreign shores for a year and then returned to NZ to spend time in hospital.  March 1917 Herbert was declared no longer physically fit for service and was discharged.  After Service he went to work on Mt Pember in Lees Valley (between Birch Hill and Oxford).  Herbert was awarded the British War Medal and Victory Medal.

 

FITZGIBBON  Matthew J  (army serial no. 14964 – Private)

Matthew was born 1892, to Mr and Mrs Patrick Fitzgibbon of North Loburn.  He worked as Ploughman for Col E B Millton at Birch Hill where In 1900 he met his future wife, Rose Wood. He enlisted March 1916 aged 24 and joined the 14th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Battalion C.  He trained at Trentham, sailed to the UK and on to France where he endured trench warfare and the hard Winter of 1916.  On 7th June, he took part in the advance on Messines (the NZ Division had great success here), but this is when Matthew was wounded.  He was discharged Feb 1919 due to illness.  On his return to NZ he wed his beloved Rose, farmed with his brother for a while then worked on the railways.  Matthew died suddenly aged 74, 3 months after Rose who was 72.

 

FORD  John Tucker  (army serial no. 7/330 – 2nd Lieut.)

John was born 1893/4 to Reginald John and Lucy Whybra FORD (nee Mumford) of Christchurch.  His sister Maud wed EB Millton.  John joined Canterbury Mounted Rifles, served in Egypt, Gallipoli and Palestine.  He was recommended in 1918 for an Imperial Commission.  Following the War he wanted to serve on the Active List of the Territorial Force in the NZ Air Force and later lived with his wife Pearl at Geelong, Victoria in Australia and worked for the Geelong Air Service.  John was also awarded the 1914/15 Star, Gallipoli Lapel Badge and the Gallipoli Medal.

 

GEORGE  Alexander Beith  (army serial no. 44841) 

Alexander was born 15 Jan 1872 in Presby, Scotland - son of James Alexander and Julia George, who later moved to Merchiston Place in Edinburgh.  Alexander moved to NZ in 1900 aged 18 years.  He worked as Cook for Col Millton and enlisted in November 1916 aged 45 years.  He was single and went overseas Jan 1917, injured an arm and was discharged April 1918 (he was declared over age also).  He had misconduct noted on his records due to drunkeness.  He moved to Hastings and died 4 August 1934 aged 62 years.

 

HARRIS  Harry Donnelly  (army serial no. 15080 - Private)

Harry’s mother, Mrs Isabella Harris, lived in Selshar, Nr Wexford,  Ireland.  Harry worked as a cowman for friend Col E B Millton, in NZ and was friends with CJ Bassett of Burnt Hill, East Oxford. He was 37 years when enlisting in March 1916. He joined the 14th Reinforcements, Canterbury Infantry Battalion C and was discharged January 1920.  He is remembered on the Auckland War Memorial.

 

PAVELKA  Michael  (army serial no. 7/636 – Sergeant)

Michael’s parents Rosa and Fred Pavelka lived in Oxford (NZ) and he worked as a groom at Birch Hill before enlisting Sept 1914 at age 20/21?  years  old with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles.  He was discharged due to malaria Feb 1919. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Military Medal for gallantry in the field, 1914/15 Star, British War Medal and the Victory Medal.  He wed Winifred Janet Garbutt 1926 and their children were Norman and Barbara.  Michael died March 1981 aged 85 years old, after Winifred who died October 1978 and both are buried at Ruru Lawn Cemetery. 

 

TAIT  James  (army serial no. 15040 - Private)

James was son of George and Ann Tait who had a blacksmith shop in Glentui, nr Oxford.  He worked as a Teamster for E B Millton (Birch Hill) before enlisting March 1916 and was attached with the 14th Reinforcements Canterbury Infantry Battalion C and the 2nd Battalion Canterbury Regiment.  James died aged 34 years in Abbeville, France Sept 1917 of pleurisy .  He is remembered in the Abbeville Cemetery, Somme in France and on the Ashburton War Memorial.

 

THOMPSON  William John  (army serial no. 7/134 - Sergeant)

William, son of John and Margaret (nee Rolfe) from Invercargill, left working as farm labourer at Birch Hill the day after War was declared at age 18 years old. He trained in Egypt and went to Gallipoli with the 2nd Battalion Canterbury Regiment.  The boat he was on was torpedoed and he was in the sea 8 hrs before being rescued by a French destroyer.  He fought in all desert battles, was wounded, lost sight in one eye and was discharged in 1917.  William fought in both WW1 and WW11, between which he engineered gas engines.  He returned home to marry Amy Elizabeth (nee ?) and lived in Christchurch.  He died April 1959 aged 63 years old.  William was awarded the 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal, the NZ War Service Medal.

 

Photo of unknown horse and soldier

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