Lawrence Maurice Blyth
Born 18 Sept 1896 - Died 10 Oct 2001
- Service number
- WWI 26/332 AWMM
- Also known as
- Curly AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Lieutenant/Military AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
- WW2 Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM Home Service Section AWMM
- War
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Lawrence Maurice AWMM
- Surname
- Blyth AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Curly AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 26/332 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 18 Sept 1896 AWMM
Leeston, Canterbury, New Zealand AWMM - Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- —
- Post war occupation
- Menswear businessman/Civilian AWMM
- Next of kin
- David Blyth (father), 49 Leitch Street, Spreydon, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- —
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- France and Germany (TBC) AWMM
- 1918 AWMM Le Quesnoy AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 26/332 AWMM
- Military service
- 3rd Battalion of the Countess of Ranfurly (Auckland-Northland territorial Army) AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Military Medal (MM) AWMM
London Gazette, 16 August 1917, p. 8429, Rec No. 1015. "For gallantry during the operations east of Ploegsteert Wood on night 13/14th June 1917. He personally guided parties of his Company to the posts which had to be established and set a fine example of courage and determination under shell fire. He was Acting Company Sergt-Major and passed through a heavy enemy barrage several times during the night in the course of his duties. His work in the Assembly Trenches under heavy fire prior to going over was particularly fine. When the objectives were gained he did very valuable work towards consolidating them and fearlessly exposed himself to the enemy fire. He has since been seriously wounded." AWMM - British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal AWMM
- Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur (France) AWMM
- Military Medal (MM) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Farm hand/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 05 Feb 1916-15 Mar 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 43 AWMM Vessel was Mokoia AWMM Rifleman AWMM 4th Battalion, B Company AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Wounds Diseases Etc., WWI AWMM
Gassed on the Somme AWMM - Wounds Diseases Etc., WWI AWMM
Wounded in the head at Messines AWMM
- Wounds Diseases Etc., WWI AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Lieutenant/Military AWMM
New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM - WW2 Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM
Home Service Section AWMM
- Lieutenant/Military AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- A funeral service with full military honours was held at St Mary's Church, Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell
A street has been named after him: Place du Colonel Blyth, Beaudignies, France AWMM
About death
- Death
- 10 Oct 2001 AWMM
Age 105 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Obituary: Sunday Star, 14 October 2001 C7
Obituary: New Zealand Herald, 11 October 2001 AWMM - Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Point Chevalier RSA, 1136 Great North Road, Auckland 1022 AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20544640
Further Reference - Burton, Mark. (2001). Funeral service for Curly Blyth.
http://beehive.govt.nz/speech/funeral+service+%E2%80%98curly%E2%80%99+blyth+0
Further Reference - Curly Blyth remembers Le Quesnoy. Geoff Robinson interview with Curly Blythe. Sound Archives/Nga Taonga Korero, Reference MR 911024.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/sound/sound-veteran-remembers-le-quesnoy
Further Reference - HMNZT 43 - The Mokoian: Being a record of the early stages of the journeyings of the 4th Battalion N.Z.R.B. (E.L.O.) (Mokoian souvenir ed.). (1916, February). The Times of Ceylon Company Ltd.
https://dunedin.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/201167
Further Reference - NZ On Screen: Our Oldest Soldier
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/our-oldest-soldier-2002
Further Reference - NZ On Screen: French Connection.
http://www.nzonscreen.com/title/french-connection-2011
Further Reference - 'Sound: a veteran remembers Le Quesnoy' (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 15-Aug-2014
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/sound/a-veteran-remembers
Further Reference - Christopher Pugsley, 'The battle of Le Quesnoy: New Zealand soldiers in their own words', Noted, 4 November 2018
https://www.noted.co.nz/currently/history/le-quesnoy-new-zealand-soldiers-in-their-own-words/
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
24: 22 - Philippe, N. & Pugsley, C. et al. The great adventure ends : New Zealand and France on the Western Front. Christchurch, New Zealand: John Douglas Publishing Ltd.
- Information kindly provided by family
- McDonald, W. (2001). Honours and awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. Napier, N.Z.: Helen McDonald.
p.24 - Pugsley, C. (2018). Le Quesnoy, 1918 : New Zealand's Last Battle. Auckland, New Zealand : Oratia.
- The Le Quesnoy Campaign research was undertaken by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as part of the development of New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata (Le Quesnoy France). This research project was led by CJ Barbour (NZSG), BI Silvester, HH Farrant (NZMHS) with the support of NZSG volunteers (2022). The individuals included in this research dataset were identified as potentially having served in or around the wider Le Quesnoy campaign. Their presence at Le Quesnoy has not been individually verified in every case.
- McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
- HMNZT 43 - The Mokoian: Being a record of the early stages of the journeyings of the 4th Battalion N.Z.R.B. (E.L.O.) (Mokoian souvenir ed.). (1916, February). The Times of Ceylon Company Ltd.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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