Neill Aylmer Rattray

Forenames

Neill Aylmer AWMM

Surname

Rattray AWMM

Service number

WWII 11143 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Birth

7 Nov 1896 AWMM

Address before enlistment

WW2 Pre 1940-1941 AWMM Waimate AWMM

Next of kin

WW2 Mrs. Ella Rattray, Waimate (wife) AWMM

Relationship status

Pre 1940-1941 AWMM Married/WWII AWMM

War

• World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
• World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWII 11143 AWMM

Medals and Awards

• Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) AWMM
  London Gazette 14/11/1946 "Maj. Rattray was captured in Greece on 26 April 1941 and subsequently imprisoned in various camps in Germany. Whilst at Oflag VIB he was in charge of all escape activities and when transferred to Oflag IX continued these activites for over two years. The Senior British Officer states that the help Maj. Rattray gave to the camp intelligence organisation, espeically on the security side, was invaluable. He has been highly commended for this work by Maj-Gen. Fortune and four senior officers." Beattie and Pomeroy, p. 253 AWMM
• Croix de Guerre 1914-1918 (France) AWMM
• War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM
• New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM

Enlistment

WW2 1940-1941 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.393 Farmer and soldier 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.393

Embarkation details

• WW1 Lieutenant/Military AWMM
• WW2 Major/Military 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.393 26th (Canterbury and Otago) Battalion 2NZEF Nom. Roll 3, p.393 Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Third Echelon AWMM
  2nd Embarkation AWMM

Capture details

• WW2 POW - Greece AWMM
• WW2 POW - Oflag IX-A/H, Spangenberg Castle, Hesse, Germany AWMM

Son of Charles William Rattray, Prefect; XV (First Fifteen), Aide De Camp Governor-General of New Zealand. Attended Christ College Grammar School List AWMM

Death

1 Jun 1964 AWMM
Age  68 AWMM

Related objects

External links

• 'Distinguished Service' Otago Daily Times, 16 November 1946
  https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19461116.2.83
  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

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.393
• 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.
• Beattie, P.J. and Pomeroy, M.J. (2016). Gallant Acts and Noble Deeds: New Zealand army honours and awards for the Second World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Fair Dinkum Publications.; P.J. Beattie and M.J. Pomeroy, 2016.
• Harper, G., Clements, C., & Johns., R. (2019). For King and Other Countries: The New Zealanders Who Fought in Other Services in the First World War. Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Press.
• Mason, W.W. (1954) Prisoners of war. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• McClymont, W. (1959). To Greece. Wellington, N.Z.: Department Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
• Norton, F. (1952). 26 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.