James Herbert Golding Alp
Born 8 Feb 1911 - Died 14 Oct 1989
- Service number
- WWII 30991 AWMM
- Also known as
- Jim AlpPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Family
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Captain/Military AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 8 Feb 1911 AWMM
- Date of birth
- 7 February 1911Public - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Birth certificate
- Place of birth
- Gillingham, Kent, EnglandPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Birth certificate
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- WW2 Pre 1940-1941 AWMM 2 Mount View Rd., Wanganui AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Insurance Salesman
Commercial Artist
Curator, Sarjeant Gallery, WhanganuiPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Family - Next of kin
- WW2 Mrs. G.M. Alp, 3 Peakes Rd., St. John's Hill, Wanganui (wife) AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 1940-1941 AWMM Married/WWII AWMM
- 'Dear John' letter received while POW. Divorced and married Grace Elizabeth Smailes 14/9/1946 (see NZDF Archive record and 'Chance encounter' document for more detailsPublic - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - NZDF Archive and family records
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 30991 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 1940-1941 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.11 Accountant/Civilian 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.11
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Lieutenant/Military 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.11 Headquarters, Infantry Brigade 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.11 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Third Echelon AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- WW2
15 Jul 1942 AWMM - WW2 POW - Oflag 79, Waggum, Germany AWMM
- WW2 POW - P.G. 47, Modena, Italy AWMM
- WW2
- Days interned
- See full record in documents (held in Libya, Italy and Germany)Public - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - 12 July 1942 to 15 April 1945 (2 years, 9 months)
- Liberation date
- 12 April 1945Public - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - NZDF Army record, JHG Alp diary, and other documents already uploaded
- POW liberation details
- Safe in UK 29 April 1945
Landed NZ 30 September 1945
See details in documents uploadedPublic - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - NZDF record, family papers - Liberation Repatriation
- .... at 0915 hrs the first (USA) Allied Armoured Car rolled up to the and ... flung wide the gates.Public - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - JHG Alp POW diary (uploaded)
- POW serial number
- See POW identity card in photosPublic - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - NZDF record, POW identity card, other documents uploaded
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Captain/Military AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- James Herbert Golding Alp was born at Gillingham, Kent, on 11 February 1911 (also recorded as 7 February 1911). He arrived in New Zealand with his family on the RMS Remuera on 27 February 1923, settling in Whanganui. Alp joined the Army Cadets, later served in the Territorials, and enlisted for active service at Trentham Camp on 1 February 1940. He embarked for Egypt in February 1941 and completed signals training, serving with New Zealand Divisional Signals as part of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
On 15 July 1942 Alp was captured in North Africa and later confirmed as a prisoner of war. He was held in camps in Italy before being transferred by train through Germany, including periods at Stalag IVB and Offlag VIIIF, and was eventually interned at Oflag 79 near Brunswick. During captivity he was promoted to the rank of Captain. He remained a prisoner of war until the camp was liberated on 12 April 1945. He travelled to the United Kingdom, arriving in Margate later that month, and returned to New Zealand in September 1945. He was discharged from the Army in 1946. While a prisoner of war, Alp produced watercolours and drawings documenting daily life in camps in Italy and Germany, including Campo 47 at Modena. Created with scarce materials, these works provide rare visual records of captivity.
After the war, he returned to Whanganui, married Grace Elizabeth Smailes in 1946, and they raised four children. He later became Custodian of the Sarjeant Gallery. He died on 14 October 1989 and is buried at Aramoho Cemetery, Whanganui.
Alp's daughter donated sketches drawn during captivity to the Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery Whanganui in 2020. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 14 Oct 1989 AWMM
- Date of death
- 14 October 1989Public - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Death certificate
- Age at death
- 78Public - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Death certificate
- Place of death
- Whanganui, New ZealandPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Death certificate
- Cause of death
- Myocardial infactionPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Death certificate
- Death notes
- Note: JHG Alp was healthy and fit and didn't see a doctor after his NZDF discharge until 1980. His parent lived into their late 90s. Perhaps the hard life he endured at POW led to his untimely/early death?Public - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - Family
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- Aromoho Cemetery, WanganuiPublic - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - Death certificate
- Grave reference
- Aramoho CemeteryPublic - Barbara - Child - 27 October 2019 - Family
- Obituary
- See uploaded 'photo'Public - Barbara - Child - 26 January 2020 - Family papers
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- A Year in Review: Online Cenotaph 2020
ONLINE CENOTAPH TEAM
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/2020
Further Reference - Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer. Zenodo Record.
https://zenodo.org/records/3955186
Further Reference - Great Britain Army. (1945). Italy : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer. Zenodo Record.
https://zenodo.org/records/4560909
Further Reference - Alp, Barbara. James Herbert Golding Alp . Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 25 March 2020. Updated: 26 April 2022.
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/features/james-herbert-golding-alp
Further Reference - Te Whare O Rehua Sarjeant Gallery (2020/2/7)
https://collection.sarjeant.org.nz/persons/8801/james-alp
Further Reference - https://collection.sarjeant.org.nz/persons/8801/james-alpPublic - Barbara - Child - 18 April 2022 - Sarjent Gallery Whanganui artist page
- A Year in Review: Online Cenotaph 2020
ONLINE CENOTAPH TEAM
- References
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
p.11 - List of 2NZEF Prisoners of War. 1941-1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2009/8.
- Great Britain Army. (1945). Germany and German occupied territories : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer.
- Great Britain Army. (1945). Italy : imperial prisoners of war alphabetical list : section 4. London, U.K.: Government Printer.
- Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- This record was part of “A Flight to Remember”, an Anzac Day 2026 commemorative partnership between Online Cenotaph and Air New Zealand, where service stories were shared onboard a dawn flight from Auckland to Sydney.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 3 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1940 to 31st March, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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