condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

William Owen Nelson Rout

-
Lay a poppy

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    William Owen Nelson AWMM
  • Surname
    Rout AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    6 January 1893 AWMM Nelson, Tasman AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW1 Mrs S A C Rout (Wife) Cambridge West AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Married/WWI AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›
  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
  • Campaign
    France AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

Contribute ›

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW1 Medical student/Civilian AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

Contribute ›

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Last known rank

Contribute ›

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
    • British Army Soldier. Highland Light Infantry, 10th Battalion.

      Son of William and Mary Rout nee Shepherd of Cambridge.
      Wife’s name was Sara Agnes Carnegie Habicht.

      Was studying medicine at Edinburgh University before enlisting AWMM
    • William Owen Nelson Rout was the son of William and Mary Rout. (He was born at Nelson). The Routs moved (from Nelson) to Cambridge in 1895 and William junior attended Cambridge West School. The Routs were active in many areas and in 1902 had a house built "Whare Ora" on Maori Hill. William left for Scotland, where he was a medical student. He gained second class honours in junior practical anatomy from Edinburgh University. He married Sarah Habicht in Edinburgh then, when war was declared he enlisted in the 10th (Service) Battalion of the Highland Light Infantry, part of the Kitchener New Army formed at Hamilton in August 1914. It came under command of 28th Brigade in 9th (Scottish) Division. The Battalion landed at Boulogne on the 12th of May, 1915. William took part in the battle of Loos in September, 1915, when the British used gas for the first time. Williams' division was in the centre of the attack and had to attack the infamous Hohenzollern Redoubt and Fosse 8, the main enemy observation posts looking out onto the whole battlefield. The 28th Brigade, was on the left of the Divisional front, and their preparations were disrupted as the gas drifted behind them and hung around in their trenches. There was no cover across no man's land, and German artillery opened on the front lines that were packed with men. Further British gas cylinders were destroyed, releasing even more gas into the area. The first rank of the 10th Battalion Highland Light infantry was cut down by crossfire from Railway Redoubt before it had gained 20 yards; those that followed suffered the same fate. William aged 22 was killed in action on the 25th of September, 1915 and is buried in Cambrin Churchyard Extension Grave L9. Public - Jenifer - Researcher - 27 November 2017 - Copyright text used with permission & credit to: Mr Colin Wood, Cambridge High School Old Boys' Association, Cambridge, New Zealand. Any re-use of text or photograph please request permission from Colin Wood, Cambridge High School Old Boys Association.
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    25 September 1915 AWMM
    France, Europe AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Cambrin Churchyard Extension AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name
    • Hautapu RSA Memorial, Waikato AWMM
    • Waitaki Boys High School Memorial Public - SHONA - Researcher - 30 August 2018 - WBHS Memorial

Roll of Honour

Remember William Owen Nelson Rout by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of William Owen Nelson Rout

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
  • References
    • Cenotaph data entry form AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
30 August 2018SHONAOamaruResearcher
27 November 2017JeniferWairarapaResearcher

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.