Remembering Those Who Served - 100 Years of WW1 Commemoration:

Ernie McINTYRE

Captain Ernest Stewart McINTYRE
WWI 9/323 – Army

Born on the 19th September 1893, Ernie was the youngest of 11 children for Thornbury residents John and Catherine (nee Bath).

Ernie’s early history includes attendance at Flint’s Bush, Thornbury and Gladstone Schools before remaining home to work on the family farm ‘Rothiemurchus’ which bred horses and shorthorn cattle.  The family farm is often referred to in Ernie’s letters as “Rothie” and their horses enjoyed a fair amount of success in the showring and on the race course.  Prior to enlistment Ernie was active in many sports including athletics and was a member of the Riverton Football Club.  He was also a member of the Territorials and a Sergeant in the “A” Squadron.

Ernie was 20 years old when he enlisted on the 13th August 1914, entering the war as a Lieutenant in the Otago Mounted Rifles.  Throughout his service Ernie achieved a number of promotions including that of Temporary Major in May 1917.

Unfortunately Ernie died on the 28th July 1917 due to wounds sustained in the chest and abdomen during combat in France.  At the time of his death Ernie was 23 years old and had served 2 years 351 days for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.  Ernie’s military war grave is in Trois Arbres Cemetery Steenwerck, France.

Also serving in The Great War was Ernie's brother Charlie (Charles) who was featured in the blog previous to this, and sisters Catherine (Kate) and Charlotte (Lotte), who will be featured in the next post on this blog.

Above information from http://www.sincewritingyoulast.co.nz/ This site includes copies of originals and transcribed WW1 letters written by Ernie to his family back in NZ, giving insight into conditions he faced.



Below - The Notification to Ernie's Unit Headquarters in Canterbury, of his death at the Front in France:

MORE ON CHARLIE McINTYRE:

from Auckland War Memorial Museum (AWMM) -

The events leading to the action in which Major McIntyre was wounded are described in the Official History of the Otago Regiment as follows: 'On the 17th [July 1917], however, he was evacuated sick and Major Hargest, of the 1st Battalion, filled the vacancy, Captain (Temp. Major) E.S. McIntyre in turn taking command of the 1st Battalion, and continuing in charge when Lieutenant Colonel Charters left for the United Kingdom on leave. On the 18th the 2nd Battalion having vacated its billets in the Doulieu area moved to Romarin Camp, and on the following day the 1st Battalion marched to the Catacombs under Hill 63.' (p. 193)

'The sojourn, from July 19th to July 28th, which the 1st Battalion spent at the Catacombs, was not free from hard work nor from enemy shelling. On the 20th casualties were sustained numbering five killed, including 2nd-Lieutenant G. Richardson, and eight wounded, including Major E.S. McIntyre, who subsequently died of wounds. The death of Major McIntyre, who was at this stage temporarily commanding the 1st Battalion, occasioned deep regret in the Regiment.' (p. 195-6) AWMM

Above Photo - Taken from AWW Online Cenotaph:

Unknown provenance (May 1917). The Otago Battalion Officers on the Western Front in France, May 1917, before the battle of Messines. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira PH-PR-179. Image has no known copyright restrictions.

DETAILS:

Name:

Ernest Stewart McIntyre

Rank: 

Captain

Date of Enlistment:

13/8/1914

Enlistment Address: 

Thornbury, New Zealand

Armed Force: 

Army

 Unit:

NZEF, Otago Regiment, 1 Battalion

Embarkation Body:

Main Body

Embarkation Place:

Port Chalmers, New Zealand

Embarkment Date:

16 October 1914

Transport:

HMNZT 5, HMNZT 9

Vessel:

Ruapehu or Hawkes Bay

Destination:

Suez, Egypt

Cause of Death:

Died of woundsDate of Death: 28 July 1917Day of Death: SaturdayCemetery: Trois Arbres Cemetery, Steenwerck, France

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