John Danderson
Born 17 Apr 1881 - Died 21 Feb 1917
- Service number
- WWI 12/1937 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM Auckland Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
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- Forenames
- John AWMM
- Surname
- Danderson AWMM
- Ingoa
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- Also known as
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- Service number
- WWI 12/1937 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 17 Apr 1881 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 16 Jan 1915 AWMM 171 Grey Street, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
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- Next of kin
- John Danderson (father), Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 17 Apr 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
- Battle of Messines AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 12/1937 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
- John should have the Gallipoli Medallion, has not been applied for yet by next of kinPublic - Linda - Other Relative - 9 March 2015 - Next of kin will apply for this
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 16 Jan 1915 AWMM
Age 23 AWMM
Labourer/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
- I am not sure the age of enlistment is correct, I think he was in his 30sPublic - Linda - Other Relative - 9 March 2015 - I have sent a copy of his army file to the museum at least 10 years ago so his age of enlistment will be on there.
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 17 Apr 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 21 or HMNZT 22 or HMNZT 23 AWMM Vessel was Willochra or Knight Templar or Waitomo AWMM Private AWMM Auckland Infantry Battalion AWMM 4th Reinforcements AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM
Auckland Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of John Danderson, of Wellington, New Zealand.
The action in which Danderson died is described in The New Zealand Division history by H. Stewart on page 149. 'At 5.45 am on [21 February] mortar projectiles fell with shattering crashes on either flank of the assaulted position. On the position itself our shrapnel lashed the parapet to force the enemy's heads down, lifting after two and a half minutes in accordance with the raiders' movements to the support line, and after a further four and a half minutes to form a box barrage. The garrison were standing to arms and lined the fire-steps thickly. The storm of shell played havoc with them. The Aucklanders found the wire well cut, and all were over the parapet and among the demoralised Germans in the front trench by the time that the enemy's barrage fell in response to a multitude of red flares. As soon as ever his guns opened, our heavy howitzers broke into intense counter-battery work, depriving the enemy's fire, which lifted some 20 minutes later from our front to our support line, of much vigour and most of its accuracy.'
The Auckland War Memorial Museum Library's manuscripts collection contains letters and papers relating to Danderson's war service. [Ref. MS 2007/35]
Next of Kin: Mr C. Danderson, Wadestown, Wellington (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM - John Danderson, born 17th April 1881 Wanganui, NZ was the eighth of ten children born to John Danderson, a native of Devon England & his wife Margaret nee Pearson. John Danderson senior was a veteran of the Colonial Wars (No 1 Company Wanganui Militia) and was a recipient of the NZ War Medal.
In July 1885 when John Danderson, the younger, was aged four his mother Margaret died of complications following the birth of a daughter Coral Margaret. Things changed drastically for the family as the children were split up and sent to live with other relatives.
John was placed in the care of his sister Ada and when Ada married in 1891 James Treweek, a Railway Inspector, John lived with them through to adulthood. The arrangement appears to have worked out well for young John who later wrote of “my dear sister Ada, and she was more than a good sister & looked after me like a Mother” (Letter 26.12.1916), and of James Treweek “he has always been very good to me ever since the day I went with him & I never wanted for nothing” (letter to his brother Charlie 28.09.1904)
Prior to the war John was a carefree young man who tramped with his mates through areas of Fiordland and the West Coast prospecting for gold, and taking employment, generally farm work, where he found it. He kept in touch by letter with his father although sometimes the correspondence went astray as he moved about the country.
John Danderson served in at Gallipoli and France enlisting as a Private in January 1915. He survived some of the bloodiest skirmishes of the war, including the Somme, and was killed in France in 1917.
Much of his surviving correspondence is addressed to his sister in law Clara, who was married to John’s older brother Charlie. John enquires frequently after the other family members who he was too young to remember when they were split up, the possibility he might one day marry, and his longing for a reunion with his family on his return to NZ. He sends many special messages to his nephew “little Jack.” (Jack or John Henry Danderson was killed in Crete in WW2)
The letters make light reference to the mud, cold, lice, and the loss of comrades in arms and his hope of surviving the next big engagement.
In 1916 while hospitalised at Epsom England he took part in the 1st ANZAC Day Celebrations in London;” all the Australians and New Zealanders took part in the procession & marched right through the heart of London… the streets were simply thronged with people & traffic stopped everywhere. Then we went to Westminster Abbey where we had a memorable service & of course the King and Queen were there & all the big nuts & from there we took the train to Hornchurch where we had a review & I was just about done out when I got back to Epsom but we had a jolly good time…”(letter 17.05.1916)
In London over 2,000 Australian and New Zealand troops marched through the streets of the city. A London newspaper headline dubbed them "The Knights of Gallipoli". The day was referred to in England as ‘The First Anniversary of the Landing at Gallipoli’ and, was commemorated with a memorial service held at Westminster Abbey. It was attended by King George V, Queen Mary, and General Sir (later Field Marshal Lord) William Birdwood, commander of the ANZAC forces at Gallipoli.
The body of Private John Danderson was originally buried by German troops but later reinterred at Pont du Hem Cemetery in France.Public - Lesley E. - Other Relative - 25 May 2015 - Family letters (gt granddaughter of John's sister Ada Danderson; NZ Defence Forces Personnel File;Papers Past NZ; bytesdaily.blogspot
- Son of John Danderson, of Wellington, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 21 Feb 1917 AWMM
- Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Pont-Du-Hem Military Cemetery, La Gorgue, Nord, France AWMM IV. F. 5. AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- 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
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20995119
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/596765/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/596765
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Cenotaph data entry form
Cenotaph data entry form - New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 172 - Danderson, John. War letters and papers, 1915 - 1917. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2007/35.
- Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- Burton, O. (1922). The Auckland regiment : being an account of the doings on active service of the First, Second and Third Battalions of the Auckland Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- Cenotaph data entry form
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