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Cenotaph record

William Arthur Birkett

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Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1918 - No known copyright restrictions

Portrait, Auckland Weekly News 1918 - No known copyright restrictions

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    William Arthur AWMM
  • Surname
    Birkett AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    WWI 4/600 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    11 March 1894 Noel Smith and Lyn Griffiths research
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    356 Clifford Street, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    R.A.F. Birkett (father), 356 Clifford Street, Whatapoko, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 14 December 1914 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
  • Campaign
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    WWI 4/600 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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  • Medals and Awards
    • Military Medal (MM) AWMM
      28 January 1918 AWMM
      In the operations at Bellevue Spur on 12 October, Sergeant Birkett was with the 3rd (Rifle) Brigade Forward Signalling Party. After the Party came under heavy fire and was split up, Sergeant Birkett collected as many of the Party as he could. Seeing that the advance was not sufficent to enable him to establish the forward situation, he reported back to Advanced Brigade Headquaters at about 7 hours after zero in an exhausted condition. Finding on arrival that all the linesmen at HQ had been wounded he immediately commenced laying lines to the new Battallion headquarters and continued this work untill after daybreak on 13 October. He completed this action on a slope exposed to enemy machine gun fire. His gallantry, perserverance, and endurance maintained communication through to the Battallion at a time when it was especially vulnerable owing to the disorganisation. Sergeant Birkett's gallant conduct has been conspicuous on several previous occassions, both in Gallipoli and France. London Gazette. AWMM
    • Cross of Karageorge, 1st Class with Swords (Serbia) AWMM
      15 February 1917 AWMM
      For distinguished services rendered during the course of the campaign. London Gazette. AWMM
    • British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
    • Victory Medal AWMM

Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW1 Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of Mr R.A.F. Birkett (father) and Annie Birkett of "Rosewell", Collins Street, Gisborne AWMM

Death

About death

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  • Death
    28 March 1918 AWMM
    Age 24 AWMM
    Somme, Northern France AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme, France AWMM III A 2 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Sources

Sources

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Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
18 November 2018SarndraAuckland, New ZealandResearcher

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