Still Seeking WWII Photos

In the last few months we managed to get a couple of the photographs of WWII men we've been seeking: Eric Bulman and Geoffrey Hargest. Thanks to a member of the Bulman family for letting us have a copy of his photo. That gives us 15 out of the 18 men who are listed on our war memorial.

Now we just have these men left whose photos we need for the RSA heritage panel:

James Douglas Gould
James Vincent O'Brien
George Joseph Sheedy

If you know of anyone related to these men who may have their photo, please get in touch at the Otautau Museum email address.

If you have other photos from WWII that you think we might be able to use for the heritage panel, please let us know. Cheers!

Note: We're open Sundays, 2pm-4pm and by request.

5 - Roll of Honour - Gallipoli - Edward Richard Thomas

Trooper Edward Richard Thomas
Photo: The Otago Witness, Collection of
Toitū Otago Settlers Museum

Edward Richard Thomas was born in Otautau in 1882 to Thomas & Jessie Thomas of Yellow Bluff. Thomas was a contractor in the area. Of their four sons, three went to World War I.

Edward had been a member of the Wallace Mounted Rifles for nine years and was working as a contractor when he enlisted in August 1914. 

Trooper Thomas served with the Otago Mounted Rifles, service number 9/350. After his New Zealand training, he was sent overseas in October 1914 and served in Egypt. In May 1015, he embarked for the Dardanelles. Among the melee of the fighting at Gallipoli, he was missing presumed killed action on 21 Aug 1915, aged 33.

His younger brothers, Charles and Robert, joined the war after Edward died. Both were discharged later as being unfit for war service and sent home. Robert had his left forearm amputated after a shell attack.

4 - Roll of Honour - Gallipoli - Harry Moffat

Private Harry Moffat

Photo: Moffat Family, Eastern Bush

Harry Moffat was born at Scotts Gap in 1891. He was the youngest son of Henry & Catherine Moffat of Orawia who were English immigrants. Harry's father had built the first flour mill in Otautau in 1883.

Harry was a sawmill hand at the Matai Sawmill Co. in Owhango, central North Island, when he enlisted for the war in September 1914.

With the Wellington Infantry Battalion, 10/1173 Private Moffat served in the Dardanelles. Suffering a gunshot wound to the thigh, he was sent back to Alexandria to recover. 

Private Moffat was later killed in action at Gallipoli, 7 Aug 1915, aged 24.

His older brother, Norman, served until he was no longer physically fit, being discharged in 1918.

The family were members of the Church of England.

3 - Roll of Honour - Gallipoli - Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher

Sergeant Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher
Photo: The Weekly Press, 3/11/1915,
Christchurch Library

The second Otautau man to lose his life in Gallipoli was Frederick Arthur Grant-Ussher. He was born in Caversham to Jane & William Grant-Ussher in 1889. Frederick's mother was the first to be born of European settlers in Naseby. Her father was originally from Northern Ireland. 

In 1910, Jane and William put the Edendale dairy herd up for sale and came south to Otautau.

By 1912 they were dairy farming at Merrivale, and their second son, Frederick, worked on the farm.

One of the first to enlist in 1914, Frederick served with the Otago Mounted Rifles, service number 9/822. He achieved the rank of Sergeant but this was short-lived. He was killed in action at Gallipoli, 5 Jul 1915, aged 26.

“He was a very keen footballer, having founded the Menzies Ferry Club, for which he played before coming to Otautau, when he joined the Otautau club, and last season played for Orawia, of which club he was secretary. He was a very popular young fellow all round the district. Several relations of deceased are in the fighting line in France and elsewhere, and he was a distant relative of the late Lord Roberts, so that he had fighting blood in his veins.” —The Otautau Standard, 10 Aug 1915

The following year, his younger brother, George, left with the 25th Reinforcements and served until the end of the war. He was discharged in 1919.

The Grant-Usshers were members of the St Andrews Anglican Church, Otautau.

2 - Roll of Honour - Gallipoli - Francis John Craig

Sergeant Francis John Craig
Photo: Sir George Grey Special Collections,
Auckland Libraries, AWNS-19150805-40-17

After the Australian and New Zealander Forces established themselves at Gallipoli in WWI, the campaign dragged on for many months. During that time, four men from Otautau & Districts lost their lives: Francis Craig, Frederick Grant-Ussher, Harry Moffat and Edward Thomas.

Francis John Craig, service number 8/335, was born in Lawrence to Rosina & Robert Craig in 1894. He worked as a fruit grower and at the motor garage in Otautau.

Sergeant Craig was one of the first to enlist from Otautau on 14 Aug 1914, ten days after Britain declared war on Germany.

His time in the military was brief and brutal. Serving with the Otago Infantry Battalion, the 21-year old was killed in action at Pope’s Hill, Gallipoli, 2 May 1915 under heavy Turkish bombardment.

Frank's older brother, Wesley Stewart Hugh, enlisted in 1917 and served until the war's end. He was discharged in 1919.

The Craigs were members of the Presbyterian Church.

1 - Roll of Honour - Eugene Tangney

This is the first of a series of posts on Otautau's WWI Roll of Honour. The men on the war memorial will be highlighted as well as the men who, for one reason or another, did not get their name on the memorial. 

There were many perils the men faced - not only the prospect of being killed in action but also catching a disease in the midst of the war and not being able to recover from it. We will be listing these men starting with who died first.

8/492 Private Tangney

The first person from Otautau to lose his life in WWI was Eugene Tangney. He was born in Invercargill in 1889, the eldest son of Patrick & Isabella Tangney. His father was a railway surfaceman in Otautau. Eugene went to Otautau School and later became a timber tallyman for nine years for the Southland Sawmilling Co. in Pukewao.

We have no picture of him but his military file described him as 5 ft 7 1/2 inches (about 170 cm), with grey eyes and light brown hair. He was of Roman Catholic faith.

Private Tangney enlisted on 15 Aug 1914 soon after the war began. He was a member of the 8th Company (Southland) for the Otago Infantry Regiment. After his training, he would’ve been preparing for the treacherous landing at Gallipoli with his regiment but he contracted pneumonia a week beforehand and died in Lemnos, Greece, 24 Apr 1915, aged 26 years.

His death was reported throughout New Zealand newspapers as he was also a noted athlete.

“Private Tangney’s career as an athlete was a short but brilliant one. He was a natural long distance runner, and like many others was discovered by accident.”
—The Press, 6 May 1915

Private Tangney had a short life but his death in the Great War was honoured by inclusion on Otautau's war memorial which was unveiled in 1922. This memorial helps us reflect on life, death, war, and our role as citizens.

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If you received this in an email, you can click on the title to go to the blog. We're open Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and at your request.

Call for WWI Photos

The centenary of the start of WWI is near, and we are still looking for photos of the men listed on the Otautau War memorial for our display.

We've gotten a good response from the public so far and are very grateful as most of these men are not found in other sources such as the Auckland War Memorial database or newspapers.

Here is an updated list of photos that we still need. Serial numbers and where they were born are included for accuracy of identity.

Leonard Allen (27426) - an Australian who was living and working in Wairio when he enlisted for the war. He was killed in action 7 Jun 1917.

Joseph Beck Ayton (61169) - lived and worked in Aparima.

James Robert Ewen Beck (49323) - horse trainer in Winton; discharged with diabetes; died at Wairio.

William James Butler (18958) - worked in Merrivale; killed in action 14 Jun 1917.

William Clark - no information on him.

Albert Ernest Dove (9/693) - an Australian who was working in Orawia when he enlisted; died of wounds in 1918, France.

Peter Ellis (41078) - from Wairio; killed in action at Passchendaele.

George Richard Evans (64873) - from Otautau; killed in action 1918.

Albert Walter Findlater (47016) - blacksmith in Otautau; killed in action 1918.

Michael Henry Ford (9/816) - from Heddon Bush; discharged from war and died at Heddon Bush.

Robert Emmet Ford (18983) - blacksmith at Orawia; killed at Messines.

Sydney Ford (8/3900) - Otautau farmer; killed at Somme.

Oliver Daly Gavigan (48193) - Otautau farmer; died of wounds, 1918.

William Healey (11279) - labourer at Woodlaw; died of TB, 1918.

Peter Thomas Johnston (24/199) - from Avondale; killed at Passchendaele.

Francis Andrew Laidlaw (8/3938) - from Isla Bank; killed at the Somme, 1916.

John George Laidlaw (8/4159) - brother of Francis; died in France, 1917.

James Duncan Laing (32862) - from Dipton; killed in action, 1918.

Arthur David Lindsay (45102) - Strathmore, Otautau, farmer; died of influenza, Invercargill, 1918.

Joseph McAfee (42688) - from Otautau; died, 1918.

Douglas Victor McCaw (71042) - farm cadet, Otautau; died of disease, 1918.

Daniel McKenzie (8/1786) - from Scotland and worked in Otautau; killed in action, 1916.

John Morris (45538) - Australian working at Scotts Gap; died of wounds, 1917.

Donald Muir (8/1808) - Scot working at Linton Park, Otautau; died of wounds, 1917.

Patrick O'Shaughnessy (36882) - from Ireland, worked in Otautau; killed in action, 1917.

Ernest John Pay (8/3996) - Ryal Bush cheesemaker; killed in action at the Somme.

Albert Preswid Poole (8/2098) - from Isla Bank; killed in action, Belgium, 1917.

Edward Arthur Poole (39308) - from Isla Bank; killed at Passchendaele, 1916.

Walter James Powell (18939) - from Scotts Gap; died of wounds, 1917.

Arthur John Scott - no information.

Thomas Adam Stephens (8/1386) - Englishman working in Otautau at time of enlistment; wounded at Gallipoli; died of pneumonia.

Eugene Tangney (8/492) - worked at Pukewao; died of pneumonia, Egypt, 1915.

Edward Richard Thomas (9/350) - Otautau contractor; killed at Gallipoli, 1915.

Andrew Hannah Ward (33046) - from Thornbury; killed at Passchendaele, 1917.

If you have a photo of one of these men, please email us. Thanks!

We're open Wednesdays and Sundays, 2pm-4pm, and by request. Your comments are always welcome!

Flood!

We regularly receive photos from the public to scan for our collection. We then return them once we have made a digital copy. This is a win-win situation because people get to keep their original photos, and we get to use the images for our displays without having to use up valuable storage space. We're always grateful when someone comes forward with something to share.

One of our recent donations involved images of the floods and fires around Main St in the 1930s and '40s. Every picture tells a story but these flood pictures are overflowing with information.

This photo shows the Otautau Stream and would've been taken in the '30s or '40s, long before the stream was radically straightened and the flood banks built. I'm not sure if it's in flood here or just its natural state. It looks like a wetland. The edges of the stream seem almost level with the road. Off to the right is the old flour mill. I had heard that when the mill was demolished in the 1980s, it was used as filler for the flood bank. I don't know if that's true but would like to find out. Just looking at the picture, we see a vastly different landscape than what we have today.

This next picture is the Otautau Stream in flood in 1948. In the distance is the Otautau War Memorial. It's amazing to see all the trees by the water (now there are none!), and the stream is so wide it could be challenging to swim across.

These are just two of the pictures we've received. There are more. Feel free to come by the museum and ask to see them. We are open Wednesdays now as well as Sundays.

Your comments are always welcome!