Arthur Raymon Trafford
Born 24 May 1894 - Died 20 Jul 1917
- Service number
- WWI 8/2164 AWMM
- Also known as
- Arthur Raymond AWMM
- Arthur Raymond Trafford AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) CompanyPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Last rank
- WW1 Lance Corporal/Military AWMM Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) Company AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- Lance CorporalPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Forenames
- Arthur Raymon AWMM
- Surname
- Trafford AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Arthur Raymond AWMM
- Arthur Raymond Trafford AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 8/2164 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 24 May 1894 Public Source
- Date of birth
- 24 May 1894Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Place of birth
- Gisborne, NZPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Birth notes
- son of Arthur and Elizabeth TraffordPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM Matawai, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- A. Trafford (father), Matawai, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 13 Jun 1915 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- 1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) CompanyPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Service number
- WWI 8/2164 AWMM
- Military service
- 1915-1917Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star
British War & Victory MedalsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military record
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM
- 15 February 1915 at TrenthamPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military record
- Age on enlistment
- 20yrs 6mthsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military record
- Occupation before enlistment
- Farm Labourer on family farm at MatawaiPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Military Record
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 13 Jun 1915-24 Jul 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 24 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui AWMM Private AWMM Otago Infantry Battalion AWMM 5th Reinforcements AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Lance Corporal/Military AWMM
Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) Company AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Arthur Trafford was the son of Arthur and Elizabeth Trafford, of Matawai, Gisborne, New Zealand. Also served in Egypt and at Gallipoli.
Next of Kin: Mr A. Trafford, Matawai, Gisborne (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 2)) AWMM - "Ray" Trafford's brother, Alick, kept a detailed diary in WW1. Ray is a big part of the book, "Into The Unknown", by Alick's grandson, Ian Trafford. Published by Penguin Random House NZ.
https://www.penguin.co.nz/books/into-the-unknown-9780143775126Public - Ian - Direct descendant - 13 April 2020 - Alick Traffords WW1 Diaries. - Nov 1917 - Near the top of the famous Hill 60, in Flanders, overlooking the plain where he so often marched on the soldiers' path of duty, is the grave of the grave of Lance-Corporal Ray Trafford - one among many thousands of graves of British soldiers. Letters to hand record very high appreciation of the Gisborne lad, who was well-known this district and especially at Matawai, where his relatives reside. Chaplain Burridge conducted the burial at the Chateau Rosenberg cemetery. In writing these particulars of his brother's death Private Alick Trafford of the 9ths, who, having just recovered from a wound, had got back to the firing line, states Our company, as well as his, had gone for a bath on the fateful morning; and each knew the other was there. Yet it was not destined that we should meet. He left a, message for me, which I received saying he was alright and I also sent a message to him. Ray had gone back to the trenches and commenced letter writing outside his dug-out. A shell lobbed over, fragments of which killed a sergeant and another man, and wounded an officer. Ray's death must have been instantaneously caused by the concussion for no marks could be found on his body. 'Mid' Quigley was a great pal of Ray's and they were seen frequently together. Lieutenant Gabites writes from the Western Front to Gisborne in eulogy of Ray Trafford. He was a splendid boy to have with one, because he was a good soldier and did his work well, and was always reliable. He was a valuable man with the machine Gun and to his company because. of his character and on account of his experience with his gun when in action. We came off Gallipoli together in the 5ths, and Ray was with my platoon all through Armentieres. He also came through the Somme and Messines, and it is a big blow to lose such a man: Chaplain Burridge forwards to Matawai his sincere sympathy of the officers and men of the battalion. It may, be mentioned that Lance-Corporal Trafford was in the historic landing of the 5th on GallipoliPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14465, 27 November 1917, Page 3
- Held in the Tairawhiti Museum -
WRITING to his sister, Arthur Trafford talks of how, if his mate Jack has arrived, he had yet to see him. Then nothing.
The 23-year-old Matawai farm labourer had already served in Gallipoli and Egypt but, like many New Zealand soldiers, the Western Front was to be his undoing.
As he wrote to Eva on July 20, 1917 — hunkered down in Ypres, Belgium — he was hit by shellfire, the uncompleted letter coming to an abrupt halt.
Later sent on to the Trafford family by his commanding officer, the letter is one of the more poignant artefacts in World War 1: From The Collection, the Tairawhiti Museum show curated to mark 100 years since New Zealand soldiers engaged in the conflict.Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Thursday, April 23, 2015 - Gisborne Herald - The object(s) of war by Kristine Walsh
- Arthur Trafford was the son of Arthur and Elizabeth Trafford, of Matawai, Gisborne, New Zealand. Also served in Egypt and at Gallipoli.
About death
- Death
- 20 Jul 1917 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- 23yrsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Research
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Berks Cemetery Extension, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium AWMM II. D. 52. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- HONOR'S CAUSE. TRAFFORD: Killed in action, in France, on July 20th, 1917, Arthur Raymond, second son of Mr and Mrs A. Trafford, of Waioeka, Matawai. At rest. 'Duty nobly done'Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 16 January 2016 - Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14367, 4 August 1917, Page 2
- Memorial name
- Te Karaka War Memorial
Gisborne's War MemorialPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 22 September 2015 - Research - Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
- Te Karaka War Memorial, corner of Main and Station Roads, Te Karaka, Gisborne AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22013086
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/107134/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/107134
Further Reference - Nearly 100 years have passed. So dear to your sister Eva, my Grandmother. You are in our thoughts esPublic - Kathryn - Other relative - 25 April 2017 - Family papers
- Military personnel file
- References
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Page No: 732 - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 3: Includes portrait - Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Byrne, A. E. Official History of the Otago Regiment, NZEF in the Great War, 1914–1918. Dunedin: J. Wilkie, 1921.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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