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James Herbert Henderson

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Mr Henderson's Disabled Serviceman's Rail Pass. - This image may be subject to copyright

Mr Henderson's Disabled Serviceman's Rail Pass. - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

  • Title
  • Forenames
    James Herbert AWMM
  • Surname
    Henderson AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Jim AWMM
  • Service number
    24563 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    26 August 1918 AWMM MotuekaTasman AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre 1 December 1939 AWMM Motueka, Nelson, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs H.C. Henderson (mother), 'Kairuru', Takaka Hill, Motueka, Nelson, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1941 AWMM Single AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    '....damn all, except Papakura Camp, antique, 1940!' AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 Dec 1939 AWMM
    Age 21 AWMM
    Journalist/Civilian AWMM
    AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
    • WW2
      Sidi Rezegh, Western Desert AWMM
      1 December 1941 AWMM
      Sidi Rezegh AWMM
    • WW2 POW - Bari Military Hospital, Bari, Italy AWMM
      Dec 1941-Nov 1942 AWMM
    • WW2 POW - P.G. 75, Bari, Italy AWMM
      Tobruk, Libya AWMM
    • WW2 POW - P.G. 57, Gruppignano, Udine, Italy WW2 POW Medically Unfit (R25405151)
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
    WW2 1 July 1943 AWMM Exchanged by International Red Cross for Italian wounded AWMM
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    • Other, WWII AWMM
      Spectacles AWMM
    • 1941 AWMMHospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
      Left leg amputated. Hospitals admitted to included Bari, Altamura, hospitals in Italy, Egypt, Wellington, Hutt, Rotorua, Green Lane, Auckland Public Hospital. AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Husband of Jill; father of Nichola, Guye, Andrew and Andrea

    Jim Henderson was a copy boy at the Nelson Evening Mail when he volunteered to go to war at age 20.

    He was largely blind in his left eye since birth - but just before the Army medical, someone told him the sequence of letters on the eye chart. (Source: New Zealand Herald article' Gunner's exorcism an enduring theatre of war' 24-25 April 2004, page A7)

    Mr Henderson still can't explain why he volunteered, except that comradeship played a large part. Going "was like being in your footy team or basketball team...the spirit of all the cobbers together." And, he signs, "it was a crazy love of Britain. Absurd, really." (Source : New Zealand Herald article' Gunner's exorcism an enduring theatre of war' 24-25 April 2004, page A7)

    Wrote amongst many others 'Gunner Inglorious' the story of a POW, and 'Down from Marble Mountain'

    He also wrote a page called "Unofficial History" for the NZRSA Review which covered a wide and varied selection of tales, telling the 'war as we Rankers saw it'. He wrote this between 1953-1955 , never missing an issue.

    He also gathered together a book based on his "Unofficial History" roundup, called "Soldier Country" which was published in New Zealand twice.

    Of his capture he wrote "December 1941, (8am and no cup of tea!)".

    One of Jim's favourite quotes is "Two things make a nation, the land and the dead."

    James Henderson was awarded the MBE. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    11 July 2005 AWMM
    Age 86 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Motueka Cemetery, Motueka, New Zealand AWMM Plot number 1 162 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember James Herbert Henderson by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of James Herbert Henderson

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  • Much respect 2nd cousin.
    Public - Brian - Other relative - 3 April 2017
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Henderson, J. (1945). Gunner inglorious. Wellington, N.Z.: Harry H. Tombs. AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 4 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1941 to 30 June, 1941). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 4: WW2 157 AWMM
    • Henderson, Stanley Miller. Papers relating to World War II servicemen Arthur and Stanley Henderson, 1939 - 1944. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 2004/49. AWMM
    • Henderson, James Herbert. Papers. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 1277 AWMM
    • Henderson, James Herbert. Papers, 1975 - 1976. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 839. AWMM
    • Murphy, W.E. (1961). The relief of Tobruk. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
      Murphy, W. (1966). p. 273 AWMM
    • The New Zealand Herald AWMM
      Gunner's exorcism an enduring theatre of war. (2004, April 24-25). New Zealand Herald, p. A7. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • Prisoners of War 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force - Repatriated Medically Unfit Protected Personnel [WW2 POW Medically Unfit], 1943 [1946], Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAAA 7393/1/v (R25405151) AWMM
    • Nominal rolls - Embarkation rolls B-force 8th infantry brigade group [New Zealand Military Forces - "B" Force - Embarkation Roll]. Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAYS 8638 AD1/1421 (R22440171) AWMM
    • Gillespie, O. (1952). The Pacific. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
19 April 2017JohnNZOther
03 April 2017BrianOld Bar AustraliaOther relative

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