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Cenotaph record

Albert Herbert Gempton

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Portrait, Albert Gempton, taken in Cairo, Egypt, in 1942. - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Albert Gempton, taken in Cairo, Egypt, in 1942. - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Albert Herbert AWMM
  • Surname
    Gempton AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Bert AWMM
  • Service number
    10250 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi
  • Hapū
  • Waka
  • Rohe
  • Religion
    Church of England, Christian AWMM

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    21 July 1916 AWMM Palmerston North, Manawatu-Wanganui AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    WW2 Pre 11 March 1940 AWMM YMCA, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    WW2 Mr Herbert Gempton (father), 1013 East Heretaunga Street, Hastings, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 1 May 1940 AWMM Legally Separated AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    Burnham Military Camp, from 12 January 1940, to 1 May 1940. AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 11 March 1940 AWMM
    Age 23 AWMM
    Salesman/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
    • Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
      Rubella on 2 July 1940 AWMM
    • Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
      Was admitted to several hospitals: No. 2 NZ General Hospital, Middle East, on 18 August 1941; No. 1 NZ General Hospital between 12 and 30 January 1942, and again on 17 July 1943, and finally in November 1943, to the Hospital Ship 'Oranje'. AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Born at 16 Worcester Street, Palmerston North, on 21 July 1916.

    Embarked from the UK for Egypt and Greece on 4 January 1941.

    On his return from overseas on 14 December 1943, he was admitted to Wellington Public Hospital.

    Death Notice: "GEMPTON, Albert Herbert - On September 16, 1998 at the Churchill Hospice, in his 83rd year, loved husband of the late Nancy, very much loved father, father-in-law and grandfather, loved brother and brother-in-law of George and Cynthia, Ray and Barbara (Levin), and Des and Shirley (Napier), and a loved uncle to his nieces and nephews. The Funeral service will be held at the Harewood Crematorium Chapel, 507 Johns Road, Tomorrow (Friday) at 10.30 a.m. Academy Funeral Services, Ltd., F.D.A.N.Z." AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    16 September 1998 AWMM
    Age 82 AWMM
    Christchurch, Canterbury AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Death notice: Christchurch Press, September 1998 AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Albert Herbert Gempton

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  • BIG Daddy Albert lived to 86 years old. His hand-carved furniture lives on in the houses of his great-grandchildren. He was a bit of a trickster and a gymnast, and he entertained other soldiers on the boat to Europe by performing contortionist tricks. There was some story that he climbed a flag pole in Samoa as a bit of a prank, I don't know if he got caught. He was a runner in the trenches. His battalion were poisoned when they all drank from stream water that had been purposely contaminated by the enemy travelling ahead of them. He had a white tongue for the rest of his life as a result of this. He became a furniture-maker in Auckland when he returned from war, and later moved to Palmy, where he was well-loved by his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. I remember his twinkling eyes
    Public - John Mackie - Direct descendant - 1 September 2021
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
    Cemetery Records. Christchurch City Council cemeteries database.
    http://librarydata.christchurch.org.nz/Cemeteries/
    Sources Used
  • References
    • Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F. AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 2 (Embarkations to 30th June, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 2: WW2 69 AWMM
    • Kay, R.L. (1968). Chronology : New Zealand in the war 1939-1946. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs. AWMM
    • The Christchurch Press AWMM
      Death notice: Christchurch Press, September 1998 AWMM
    • Ross, A. (1959). 23 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
01 September 2021John MackieHamilton, NZDirect descendant

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