Davidson Stoupe had just emigrated to New Zealand from Newtownards, County Down, Northern Ireland. He had arrived to join members of the Stoupe family already in New Zealand. Less than a year after his arrival, war was declared in Europe. He enlisted under the name of David Ronald Wilson. The family are not sure of the reason for this as he was old enough to enlist. Possibly he was indentured to his Uncle William, or perhaps as the false name he gave had a military background, he felt he had more chance of being accepted. His name was corrected by Statutory Declaration at Hornchurch on 12 November 1918.
The Next of Kin is taken directly from embarkation rolls and is in fact not true - D.R. Wilson was possibly a friend
The informants recorded information about his emabrkation, 22 September 1914, Arawa or Limerick, destination Dardanelles.
He was in the Main Body to leave Wellington in 1914, and was first wounded at Gallipoli on 8 May 1915. He suffered bullet wounds to both thighs, and was shipped back to Egypt to recover.
Davidson rejoined his battalion at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli, a week before the assault on Chunuk Bair. He was shipped out with dysentry in September 1915.
The Battalion embarked for France on 6 April 1916. He was promoted to the rank of Corporal while serving in the field on 10 July 1916, and was wounded in action on 16 July 1916, with a bullet wound to his head. Once recovered from this wound, leave in Paris and the UK followed.
On returning to the front at the beginning of 1918 he was promoted to Sergeant, when his Company Sergeant was killed in action on 2 February 1918. Wounded again on 30 March 1918, he was sent back to England to convalesce.
He married Emma Clotworthy,of Newtownards, County Downs who was his second cousin on 15 October 1918. The married couple embarked for New Zealand on 25 January 1919. He was discharged from the army on 15 July 1919.
Hospitals admitted to during World War I were : St Andrews, Malta; Hospital Ship H.S. Gloucester Castle; No. 4 General Hospital, France; Hornchurch Hospital, and Walton-on-Thames Hospital.
He would later rejoin the NZ Army for temporary service in New Zealand from 30 June 1941 to 18 November 1942. He was Sergeant at the Motor Transport Pool based in Gaunt St, Auckland.
He worked as a traffic Officer with the Mt Albert City Council, and later as an engineer working at Challenge Phosphate, A.G. Price in Thames and later at the Colonial Ammunition Company.
Davidson and Emma raised five children, and livied in Sandringham in Auckland. He was also a member of the Auckland Gun Club, and won a number of trophies.
Shortly before 5 p.m. on 8th May 1915 amessage was despatched to the front line that a general advance had been ordered of the whole line with fixed bayonets at 5.30pm. It was intended that the advance should be made by the New Zealand Brigade alone, but the first order was countermanded and Sir Ian Hamilton ordered a general advance. In view of the way the British Line throughout was pinned down by the excellently served Turkish machine guns, it was difficult to see how the advance was to succeed in doing other than increasing casualties. The troops in the front line realized the hopelessness of attempting to progress until the machine guns had been silenced; but the Divisional Headquarters did not appear to appreciate it. Ruahine Company, which had lain in reserve throughout the day in Ravine Gully was ordered up and participated in the general advance on the right of the battalion in an endeavour to fill the gap between West Coast Company and the Auckland Regiment. A section of the company under General Short got well forward up the Krithia Nulla; but finding themselves completely isolated, they took cover , and at dusk, retired to the line occupied by the West Coast Company. (from : 'The Wellington Regiment N.Z.E.F. 1914-1919' by W.H. Cunningham D.S.O., C.A.L. Treadwell, O.B.E., and J.S. Hanna) AWMM