Harry Ernest Oppenheim
Died 29 Nov 1900
- Service number
- South African 3006 AWMM
- Also known as
- Openneim AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Trooper AWMM New Zealand Mounted Rifles, 2nd Contingent AWMM
- War
- South African War, 1899-1902 AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- —
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
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- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Ernest Oppenheim (father) AWMM
- Relationship status
- Unknown AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- South African War, 1899-1902 AWMM
- Campaign
- South Africa AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- South African 3006 AWMM
- Military service
- One year with E Battery in Christchurch AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Queen's South Africa Medal (Cape Colony, Transvaal, Wittebergen clasps) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- South Africa 23 Apr 1900 AWMM
Age 19 AWMM
Farm hand/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- South Africa Vessel was Undaunted AWMM Trooper AWMM New Zealand Mounted Rifles AWMM 2nd Contingent 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
- Trooper AWMM
New Zealand Mounted Rifles, 2nd Contingent AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Harry was the son of Ernest Oppenheim and Helen Kate Oppenheim of Leithfield. Ernest was the proprietor of the local pub. He was one of thirteen children, two of whom were born after Harry was killed. He put his age up by a year or so when enlisting. He also recorded that he had previous military experience with E Battery. His employer was Mr Gorrie at Sefton, north of Christchurch.
The fighting in which Oppenheim died took place at Rhenoster Kop about forty miles east of Pretoria. Making their way to Eerste Fabricken, where they spent two days, they came in contact with the Boers on 26 November. They kept up a running fight until 29 November. The description of the action on that day in New Zealanders and the Boer War suggests fierce fighting with high casualties. It reads:
'The first man hit was Farrier-Sergeant Smith (Second Contingent), mortally; then Oppenheim. MacBride carried Oppenheim out of the fire, only to get hit himself. Captain Crawshaw, then dangerously wounded, was attended by Hill, Beath and Foreman dropping. Hill ran to them, and was shot badly through both hips himself. Sergeant Henderson then carried Hill out of the zone of fire. Meanwhile Corporal Stephens was going backwards and forwards carrying ammunition through the rain of bullets.' (p. 90)
An account of the circumstances surrounding Trooper Oppenheimer's death appears in The New Zealand Herald, 3 January 1901.
Originally his grave was at Reitfontein Farm near the battle site at which he died. He is now buried at the Diamond Hill Garden of Remembrance.
Name transcribed as Openneim on the Marker at Diamond Hill for those killed at Rhenoster Kop and reburied at Diamond Hill
Father was named Ernest Oppenheim.
Name incorrectly spelt as Opperheim on South African Roll of Honour at Auckland War Memorial Museum. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 29 Nov 1900 AWMM
- Date of death
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- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Diamond Hill Garden of Remembrance, Donkerhoek, South Africa AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Death notice: New Zealand Herald, 3 or 4 January 1901 AWMM
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Ranfurly Veterans' Home, 539 Mount Albert Road, Three Kings, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Memorial plaque, 2nd New Zealand Contingent, Boer War 1900, Ranfurly Veterans' Home, Auckland AWMM
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, South African War Memorial 1899 - 1902 AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
Sources Used - New Zealand History online. New Zealand in the South (Boer) War
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/south-african-boer-war/introduction
Further Reference - Gauteng, Cullinan district, Donkerhoek, Diamond Hill, Military Cemetery
http://www.eggsa.org/library/main.php?g2_itemId=655934
Further Reference - Ranfurly Veterans' Home. Opening ceremony to-day. Auckland Star, Volume XXXIV, Issue 294, 10 December 1903, Page 5
http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=AS19031210.2.26&srpos
Further Reference
- Papers Past. Digital New Zealand Newspapers.
- References
- Stowers, R. (1992). Kiwi versus Boer : the First New Zealand Mounted Rifles in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902. Hamilton, N.Z.: R. Stowers.
- Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives of New Zealand.
Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives. 1901. H.6E - Hawson, S. E. (1907). New Zealanders and the Boer War : or, Soldiers from the land of the moa. Christchurch, N.Z.: Gordon Gotch.
- The New Zealand Herald
Death notice: New Zealand Herald, 3 or 4 January 1901 - Information kindly provided by family
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