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Cenotaph record

Matthew Williamson

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Headstone of Corporal Matthew Williamson (14898). Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery Extension, France. New Zealand War Graves Trust (FRJK4606). CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Headstone of Corporal Matthew Williamson (14898). Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery Extension, France. Ne …

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Matthew AWMM
  • Surname
    Williamson AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Matthew Williamson AWMM
  • Service number
    WWI 14898 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion
    Presbyterian, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    22 May 1885 Peter Dennis, UNSW Canberra Shetland Islands, Scotland Peter Dennis, UNSW Canberra
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
    Son of Peter & Agnes WILLIAMSON of Gisborne Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 February 2024 - Military Record
  • Address before enlistment
    Steele Road, Tamarau, Gisborne Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 February 2024 - Military Record
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    P. Williamson (father), Steel Road, Tamarau, Gisborne, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Single Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 17 February 2024 - Military Record

Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
    World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
  • Campaign
    • 1914-1919 Western Front AWMM
    • Le Quesnoy AWMM
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    WWI 14898 AWMM
  • Military service
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW1 Unknown AWMM Labourer/Civilian 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
    • Height, WWI AWMM
      5' 10.5" AWMM
    • Weight, WWI AWMM
      168 lb AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of Peter and Agnes Williamson, of Steele Rd., Kaiti, Gisborne, New Zealand.

    Embarked Wellington, 26 June 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 22 August 1916; marched in to Sling Camp, 23 August 1916.
    Proceeded overseas to France, 26 September 1916; taken on strength, 1st Bn, Wellington Infantry Regiment, in the field, 18 October 1916.
    Admitted to No 2 NZ Field Ambulance, 18 May 1917 (influenza); transferred to 2nd Australian Casualty Clearing Station, 19 May 1917 (trench fever); to 32nd Stationary Hospital, Wimereux, 21 May 1917; to 55th General Hospital, 26 May 1917; to 7th Convalescent Depot, 7 June 1917; to 10th Convalescent Depot, Ecault, 10 June 1917; to Base Depot, Etaples, 24 June 1917; to No 20 General Hospital, Camiers, 28 June 1917 (scabies); to Base Depot, Etaples, 5 July 1917; to 24th General Hospital, 26 July 1917 (pleurisy); to England, 7 August 1917, and admitted to No 2 NZ General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames; transferred to NZ Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch, 11 September 1917; to NZ Command Depot, Codford, 12 December 1917.
    Proceeded overseas to France, 8 May 1918; rejoined Bn, in the field, 12 May 1918, and posted to 11th Company.
    Promoted Corporal, 22 October 1918.
    Killed in action, 4 November 1918.

    Parents: Peter and Agnes Williamson, Steele Road, Kaiti, Gisborne AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    4 November 1918 AWMM
    Age 38 AWMM
    Le Quesnoy, France AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed in Action AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Le Quesnoy Communal Cemetery Extension, Nord, France AWMM I. A. 28. 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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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Matthew Williamson

Leave a note

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  • I visited Matthews grave in Le Quesnoy in October 2018 along with my 10 year old son also called Matthew. Trying to gather as much information about him as I can. He was my grandfathers uncle.
    Public - Kevin - Other relative - 7 November 2018
    Report 
  • Great Uncle Matthew on behalf of all your family I want to say how proud we are of you, just sorry we never had the chance to do it in person. I visited your resting place in 2005 not knowing a lot about you or your military history. I have tried to rectify the this over the past few years. It would seem that even though the family were informed that you had earned a MM, those recommendations must have been lost or destroyed (like no doubt those of a lot of other lads and circumstances of the time) as it would appear there is no official record of it apart from the letter we have a copy of & the notice in the Shetland Times Newspaper. I will keep looking and will never forget you. I value the letters you wrote to your brother Arthur (my Grandfather) they add personality to the story of your life.
    Public - Caralyn - Other Relative - 17 April 2015
    Report 

Related Serviceperson

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      34: 39 AWMM
    • NZEF Peter Dennis, UNSW Canberra AWMM
    • Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications AWMM
      Vol. 2: Includes portrait AWMM
    • The Fields of Remembrance Trust: Brothers Field, Auckland Museum (Armistice, 2018) AWMM
    • Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2. AWMM
    • Pugsley, C. (2018). Le Quesnoy, 1918 : New Zealand's Last Battle. Auckland, New Zealand : Oratia. AWMM
    • NZEF CASUALTIES — LE QUESNOY As noted in the Appendix of Dr Christopher Pugsley’s book: Le Quesnoy 1918: New Zealand’s Last Battle. This list was compiled by Richard Stowers and Herb Farrant, and added to by Christopher Pugsley. Please forward any additional names and details to the author through Oratia Media. The list covers period 1–7 November 1918 and those who died after from wounds received in this period. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
09 March 2024Ian BanksTaumarunui New ZealandResearcher
17 February 2024Lorraine Mona Gisborne Researcher
24 April 2020CaralynChristchurch, New ZealandOther relative
07 November 2018KevinShetlandOther relative
17 April 2015CaralynChristchurch, NZ Other Relative

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