War Memorial at Kilbirnie School
This memorial at the Moxham Avenue gates
of Kilbirnie School was erected by
local residents to commemorate former pupils and teachers from the
school who died in the first World War. I would be glad to receive
photographs or additional information about any of the men listed
below.
There is also a Roll of Honour in the school hall which lists all those former pupils and staff who served in the war.
Ivor George Bassett (1892-1917) Rifleman or Private, NZ Rifle Bgde. Died 1917 in Belgium, age 25. Son of Thomas and Sarah Jessica Bassett of Palmerston North, formerly of Tully St, Kilbirnie. Born in Petone, attended Petone Central School until 1905 then went to Kilbirnie. He was a farmhand.
Jack Langley (John)
Braddock (1895-1917) Rifleman/Lance Corporal, NZ Rifle
Bgde. Died Dec 1917 Belgium aged 23. He was the son of Frederick
and Edith Mabel Braddock, 10 Buckingham St, Lyall Bay and before
call-up was a signwriter living at Sutherland Road in
Melrose.
Arthur Penfold Castle (ca 1891-1916) Lt or 2nd
Lt NZ Rifle Bgde. Died Sep 1916 age 25 near Bapaume. He was the son
of John and Mary Castle of Petone and went to Petone Central School
from 1891-1904. He came to Kilbirnie School as a pupil-teacher in
1909 but only stayed a month before getting transferred back to
Petone nearer his home.
Ernest Clarke (1879-1918)
2nd Lt, Wellington Regiment, NZEF. Died age 39 in France, August
1918. His parents were Thomas and Elizabeth, and he was married to
Annie Elizabeth Clarke from Birmingham. They lived at 25 Bourke St,
Kilbirnie and Ernest was a builder. He was a pupil at Kilbirnie
School from 1887-1892.
Ian Compton Clark (-1916),
Private, Wellington Regiment. Died at the Somme, France, Sep 1916.
Son of James Clark, who died in 1915, and Mrs Louisa Elizabeth
Clark (nee Compton) of 1 Athol
Cres Wellington. He was a watchmaker before going to war. Ian had
brothers and sisters Arthur, Jane and Ruby. Ian's cousin John Keasberry also appears on the
memorial.
Foster Brooke Crouch (1881-1918) Lieutenant, Duke of Cornwall’s light Infantry. Died March 1918 France age 36. Son of William Foster Crouch and Julia Elizabeth Crouch. Foster came from England to Kilbirnie School in 1891, then went to Newtown and back to Kilbirnie from 1895-96, when the log shows he left to go to "Business".
Francis John Herbert (Bert) Fear DCM, (1887-1916)
Corporal, NZ Engineers. He served in Gallipoli, Egypt and France
and died Sep 1916, Somme, France. Son of Mr and Mrs FJW Fear of 19
Smith/Raupo St. Bert was a cheesemaker.
Excerpt from Auckland Weekly News 12.10.1916: Corporal Fear "gained
the Distinguished Conduct Medal for conspicuous gallantry at Gaba
Tepe, Gallipoli, as a member of the NZ Engineers, on 9 & 10
June, 1915. He volunteered to demolish a Turkish blockhouse within
12 yards of the enemy's trench, which could be approached only over
ground swept by machine-gun fire. Corporal Fear exhibited great
skill and courage in approaching and demolishing the blockhouse,
being exposed to the enemy's fire for over half an hour. He was
accompanied by Sapper E A HODGES, also of the NZ Engineers, to whom
the DCM was also awarded for his share in the gallant exploit."
Bert's brothers Claud and Reginald also went to war but they came
back.
Edward Herbert Fisher (1890-1915) Private,
Wellington Regiment, died April 1915 Gallipoli age about 23. Son of
Edward Herbert Fisher and Margaret (Milligan) of 87 Overton Tce,
Hataitai. Edward was born in Ingham, North Queensland. He and his
brothers Stephen and Ralph came from Newtown School to Kilbirnie
School in 1902, and sister Margaret started in 1904. He was later
employed at the GPO Wellington.
Walter Temple Fisher (c1894-1915) Private,
Auckland Regiment. Died May 1915 at Gallipoli age 21. Youngest son
of Stephen and Annie Elizabeth Fisher of Ellice Street (she d 1895
age 36). By 1915 Stephen and his second wife Mary Frances Fisher
were living at 3 Derby St, Feilding. Walter and Edward Herbert
Fisher were first cousins.
William Frederick
Greaves (1886-1917) Private, NZ Reinforcements, died 1917
age 31. William was one of 10 soldiers killed in an accident in
England. The 28th reinforcements had just landed at Plymouth and
were travelling by train to camp. The train made an unscheduled
stop en route and some soldiers jumped off to collect food. They
were hit by an express train travelling through the station
(Source: Auckland Museum’s Cenotaph site). Son of Crawford
and Hannah Greaves of Hamilton Road, Hataitai and later
Paraparaumu. Before the war William worked on a farm in the
Wairarapa. Attended Kilbirnie School during 1891 and 1898, and also
went to Newtown School.
Gilbert Howe (1891-1917) 2nd Lieutenant, NZ Field
Artillery. Died January 1917 in France, age 25. Son of Robert and
Eliza Howe. Gilbert also served in Samoa. He was a clerk before the
war. Attended Berhampore School then came to Kilbirnie School
1899-1902 when his family lived at Evan's Bay. Gilbert's sisters
Ruth and Esther were also at Kilbirnie.
Capt J S Isherwood
I have so far been unable to find any information on this man. The
Roll of Honour in the school hall lists him as JF Isherwood.
Possibly John F Isherwood b 1897, son of Alfred Isherwood, enrolled
at Kilbirnie School in 1905 after arriving from Marton.
John Compton Keasberry (1893-1915)
Private or Lance Corporal, Wellington Regiment. Died April 1915 at
Gallipoli age 21. Only son of William Henry Keasberry and Mary Ann
(nee Compton) of Wellington,
Paraparaumu and later Pungarehu Taranaki. Annie and Cecil Ellen
Mary Keasberry attended Kilbirnie 1899- 1900. John Keasberry was a
first cousin of Ian Compton
Clark.
Charles Joseph Graham
Lamberg (1891-1918) Private, Wellington Regiment. Died in
France September 1918 age 28. Son of Julius and Sarah Lamberg of 62
Moxham Ave, Hataitai. He entered Kilbirnie School on his fifth
birthday in 1896. Before the war Charles was a
wickerworker.
Alemeda Rohillia McLeod (1893-1918) Private, NZ
Cyclist Batallion, died July 1918 in France age 25. An electrician,
son of Jessie McLeod, 52 Kilbirnie Cres, and the late William
Fraser Mcleod. (or William Frederick McLeod? Evan’s bay Rd
1905) Ro started school with his siblings Winnie and Zealandia in
1903 (from Berhampore) and he left in 1908.
Andrew Cunningham
Patton(1894-1917) Private or lance corporal NZ Medical
corps, died in Belgium May 1917. Son of Andrew Patton of Hamilton
Road/Baden Rhode. Three brothers (Louis, Thomas and William) also
served in the war. Andrew and his brothers were admitted to
Kilbirnie in 1901 after a month at Roseneath.
Francis Desmond Perrin (1894-1918) Private or
Rifleman, NZ Rifle Brigade, died May 1918 in France age 23. He was
a law clerk, son of Alfred and Amy Perrin, 15 Scarborough Tce
Wellington, formerly of Wellington Road. Frank’s brother
Laurence Selwyn Perrin returned from the war but died in 1921 aged
24. Alfred donated a shield to the school in memory of Frank and
this was awarded to the school dux for about 10 years. Frank
attended Kilbirnie School from 1899 to 1908. Siblings Alfred,
Audrey, Nina were also at Kilbirnie.
Richard Price (1879-1915) Major, Otago Regiment
NZEF, died in May 1915 at Gallipoli, Turkey age 35. Son of Mr and
Mrs JH Price, 60 Overton Tce, Hataitai/40 Ellice Ave. Richard
Attended Kilbirnie School from 1891-1892 and later became a chief
clerk at the Public Trustees Office in Dunedin. He is recorded in
the school's logbook as being the first "old boy" to die in the
war.
Frank Thomas
Rogers(1898-1918)Private or Rifleman, NZ Rifle Brigade.
Died in France May 1918 aged 19. Son of Walter and Sarah of Remuera
Auckland, native of North Fitzroy Melbourne. He was a clerk. Frank
started at Kilbirnie School in 1903 when his family lived in
William St.
Norman William Scambury or Scambary
(1895-1918) Driver, NZ Field Artillery, died January 1918 in France
age 22. Son of Margaret McDonald 43 Childers Tce/453 Main St East
Palmerston North and the late James Scambury. Norman was born in
NSW. He started at Kilbirnie with his brothers Walter and Arthur in
1904, and also attended Worser Bay. He also served at
Gallipoli.
Arthur Frank Stevens (1896-1918) Trooper,
Wellington Mounted Rifles, died July 1918. His parents Arthur
William Stevens, dairyman, and Jane lived in Moxham Ave and later
moved to Korokoro and Manunui.
Claude Stevenson (1897-1917) Private, Wellington Regiment NZEF. Died in Belgium, Jun 1917 age 20. Son of Henry and Clara Stevenson, of Gisborne or Palmerston North, formerly of Duncan Terrace, Kilbirnie. Attended Kilbirnie School in 1907-08 then went to Lyall Bay School.
Arthur Llewellyn Webb
(?-1916) Private, Otago Regiment. Died in France September 1916.
Son of Mr and Mrs K A Webb, Sutherland Rd, Melrose. He was a
teacher at Kilbirnie School.
NB: I have found the following former pupil who died in World War 1 but does not appear on the memorial. There may be others - please advise me if you know of any more omissions.
Francis Cyril Aston (1893-1915) Sapper, NZ Engineers. Although he isn't listed on Kilbirnie School's memorial, Francis does appear on a memorial at Roseneath School, as Cyril Aston. Lived in Hamilton Rd and attended Kilbirnie School in 1899. His father later moved to Napier. Son of Frank Aston and Bessie Dumbell.
Sources: Commonwealth War Graves Commission, Kilbirnie School records, electoral rolls.
Thank you to Carol Spragg and Leigh Willoughby (his roll of honour site here) for some of the photos. Photos of Edward Fisher and Richard Price are courtesy of Auckland Museum's Cenotaph site
If you are interested in other war memorials around New Zealand, visit the NZ War Memorials pages of the Ministry of Culture and Heritage.
(C)2004 P. McKirdy. Updated Nov 2009.
