William Edward Johnstone
Born 6 May 1895 - Died 13 Jun 1917
- Service number
- WWI 8/2020 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Corporal/Military AWMM Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) Company AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Edward AWMM
- Surname
- Johnstone AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 8/2020 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Presbyterian, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 6 May 1895 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- Pre 11 Feb 1915 AWMM Isla Bank, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs R. Johnstone (mother), Isla Bank, Southland, 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
- Somme AWMM
- Messines AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 8/2020 AWMM
- Military service
- New Zealand Defence Forces, Eighth Southland Regiment AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 11 Feb 1915 AWMM
Age 20 AWMM
Farmer/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
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- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 13 Jun 1915-24 Jul 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 24 AWMM Vessel was Maunganui AWMM Corporal/Military AWMM Otago Infantry Battalion AWMM 5th Reinforcements AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
5 feet 7.5 inches AWMM - Complexion, Unknown Period AWMM
Fair AWMM - Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Blue AWMM - Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Fair AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Received a gunshot wound in the shoulder in an attack on Chunuk Bair at Gallipoli on 9 August 1915 AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Received a gunshot wound in the thigh in France on 14 July 1916 AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Admitted to No 2 NZ Field Ambulance, then transferred to No 8 Casualty Clearing Station, then sent to 35 General Hospital, Calais, France before embarking for England aboard Hospital ship "Brighton" and being admitted to 2 London General Hospital, Chelsea. He was moved to Brockenhurst later. AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Received a fatal gunshot wound in the neck on 7 June 1917 AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Admitted to 77 Field Ambulance then transferred to 53 Casualty Clearing Station, 7 June 1917 AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Admitted to 13 General Hospital, Boulogne, 8 June 1917 AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Embarked for England on Hospital ship "St David" AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Died en route in the No 3 Ambulance Train in UK AWMM - Died of wounds, Cause of Death AWMM
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Corporal/Military AWMM
Otago Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion, 8th (Southland) Company AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- William Johnstone was the son of Robert and Rose Elizabeth Johnstone, of Isla Bank, Southland, New Zealand.
Promoted to Corporal on 1 April 1915
On 20 October 1916, after his recovery period, William Johnstone returned to base camp at Etaples, France and rejoined his regiment on 8 November near Armentieres.
"In March 1917 William was appointed temporary Lance Corporal. The attack and capture of the Messines-Wyshaete Ridge was planned for 7 June. At 12.30am all troops were in position in their trenches. The battle began with the detonation of 19 large mines under the German lines and within the hour New Zealanders had captured Messines. William Johnstone was severely injured in the process, receiving gun shot wounds to his neck and spine, resulting in paraplegia. He died on the Ambulance Train." (Church, p.64)
"The Johnstone family suffered a double loss because the third son Robert Muir, Sergeant 23/795, 1 Battalion, 3 New Zealand Rifle Brigade, lost his life on 27 September 1918 in the Battle of the Canal du Nord (27 September-1 October). He has no known grave and is listed on the Grevillers New Zealand memorial, Pas de Calais, France." (Church, p.65) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 13 Jun 1917 AWMM
Age 22 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Died of wounds AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Brockenhurst (St Nicholas) Churchyard, Hampshire, England AWMM Plot A, Row 3, Grave 5 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Isla Bank War Memorial, Calcium Cemetery, 5 Cemetery Road, Isla Bank, Southland, New Zealand AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R18054292
Further Reference - No 1 New Zealand General Hospital, Brockenhurst
http://southernlife.org.uk/nzindex.htm
Further Reference - Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Isla Bank war memorial
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/isla-bank-war-memorial
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/362577/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/362577
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Church, C. (2002). New Zealand graves at Brockenhurst : 93 New Zealand soldiers remembered from World War One. Hampshire, England: Author.
- Information kindly provided by family
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 374 - 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. 4: Includes portrait - 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.
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