William Roland Ahier
Born 9 Feb 1894 - Died 6 May 1917
- Service number
- WWI 10284 AWMM
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM Auckland Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 16th (Waikato) Company AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William Roland AWMM
- Surname
- Ahier AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 10284 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Church of England, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 9 Feb 1894 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Pre 11 Jan 1916 AWMM Te Awamutu, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- George Midford Aubin Ahier (father), Te Awamutu, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 06 May 1916 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- Battle of Messines AWMM
- Battle of Messines AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 10284 AWMM
- Military service
- Training College Corps, Auckland AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 11 Jan 1916 AWMM
Age 21 AWMM
School teacher/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 06 May 1916-21 Jun 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 52 AWMM Vessel was Mokoia AWMM Private AWMM 12th Reinforcements, Wellington Infantry Battalion, J Company AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
5 foot 11 inches AWMM - Weight, Unknown Period AWMM
11 stone AWMM - Dental, Unknown Period AWMM
denture lower jaw; other teeth poor AWMM - Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM
Auckland Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 16th (Waikato) Company AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- William Ahier was the son of George Midford Aubin Ahier and Anna (Annie) Maria Seccombe Hamley, of Te Awamutu.
Two brothers served in WW1: William Roland (Dick) Ahier (10284) was killed in action 1917 and Norman Godfrey Ahier (13/287).
Embarked from Egypt 26 July 1916 for England; embarked fro France 29 August 1916
A diary written by Dick Ahier, found in the ceiling of an old St Andrews Road house in Auckland, is held in the Museum Library's Manuscripts Collection (MS 2004/76). The diary contains detailed daily entries covering the following observations of military life at the front: entertainment, sport, personal hygiene, parasites, vermin, route marches, drill, trench warfare, equipment, food and alcohol, accommodation, bedding, weather conditions, correspondence, weaponry, enemy bombardments, YMCA, guard duty, illness, medical treatments and aerial combat. Forty-nine servicemen with whom Ahier served are also mentioned.
Slang terms include: pilot or sky pilot, boscar, limber, plum duff, bock, Tommy, Hun, Fritz, crook possie.
Locations mentioned include: Estaires, Sailly, Fleurbaix, Armentieres, Pont de Nieppe, De Seule, Ploegsteert, Le Bizet, Neuve-Eglise.
Attended Auckland Grammar School. Attended Auckland University College (now the University of Auckland).
Dick Ahier writes in his diary (MS 2004/76) extensively about his friend Cosh, who was wounded and moved to No. 2 Australian General Hospital, Boulogne, and later to England. Cosh's full name is not known. An A. Ahier is remembered on the Pirongia Memorial Hall we are not sure this is the same man.
Next of Kin: Mr G. M. Ahier, Te Awamutu (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM - Very grateful to have been allowed to read Dick Ahier's precious war diary. It gave me further information about the circumstances surrounding the capture (22.2.17) and subsequent death (23.02.17) of my cousin Pte Clarrie Tarlin who was serving with Dick. Thank you very much.Public - Anne - Researcher - 21 May 2019 - Personal comment
- William Ahier was the son of George Midford Aubin Ahier and Anna (Annie) Maria Seccombe Hamley, of Te Awamutu.
About death
- Death
- 6 May 1917 AWMM
Age 23 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Nieuwkerke (Neuve-Eglise) Churchyard, Heuvelland, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium AWMM V.8. AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Death notice: Te Awamutu Courier, 25 May 1917, p. 3.
Obituary: Auckland Grammar School Chronicle. 1917. AWMM - Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
- Pirongia Memorial Hall, Pirongia, Waikato, New Zealand AWMM
- Hamilton Memorial Park, Memorial Drive, Hamilton East, 3216 AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Births, Deaths and Marriages (New Zealand) Historical Records online
https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz
Sources Used - Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22269702
Further Reference - Pirongia Memorial Hall.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/pirongia-first-world-war-memorial
Further Reference - Auckland University College Roll of Honour.
http://www.specialcollections.auckland.ac.nz/ww1-centenary/roll-of-honour/search?page=15
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/482809/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/482809
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Births, Deaths and Marriages (New Zealand) Historical Records online
- References
- Connolly, A., & Stanes, P. Rememberance: Auckland Grammar School Great War Roll of Honour. Vols 1 & 2. Auckland: Petand Prodctions.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
31: 7 - Ahier, William Roland. War diary, 1917. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2004/76.
- Auckland Grammar School Chronicle. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland Grammar School.
Auckland Grammar School chronicle. 1917, Second term. pp.44-45. - Auckland Grammar School Chronicle. Auckland, N.Z.: Auckland Grammar School.
Auckland Grammar School chronicle. 1917, Second term. p.17. - Auckland Weekly News
Death notice: Te Awamutu Courier, 25 May 1917, p. 3. - A.U.C. roll of honour, 1914 - 1920. MSS & Archives E-2, Special Collections, University of Auckland Libraries and Learning Services.
- 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. 2: Includes portrait - Information kindly provided by family
- HMNZT 52.The bugle call of the 12th NZ Reinforcements : being the souvenir number of The Mokoia chronicle.(1916). On board ship: Published on board H.M.N.Z. Transport no. 52 "S.S. Mokoia".
- 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.
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