John Iveson Henderson
Born 1922 - Died 26 May 1941
- Service number
- 5324 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Lance Corporal/Military AWMM 19 Infantry Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- John Iveson AWMM
- Surname
- Henderson AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- 5324 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 1922 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Unknown AWMM 219 Gill Street, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs A. Henderson (mother), 219 Gill Street, New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 05 Jan 1940 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1941 AWMM Crete AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- 5324 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 Unknown AWMM Grocery assistant/Civilian AWMM
New Plymouth AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Private AWMM 19 Infantry Battalion AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Lance Corporal/Military AWMM
19 Infantry Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- John Henderson was the son of Robert Hugh Henderson and of Agnes Henderson (nee Allen), of Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand.
John "Jack" Iveson Henderson (5324) was the son of Robert Hugh Henderson and Agnes Henderson (née Allen), of Inglewood and later New Plymouth, Taranaki.
Henderson was educated at Central School and New Plymouth Boys’ High School, where he was remembered as an outstanding swimmer. After leaving school he was active in the Star Football Club and the East End Surf Club.
He enlisted in the New Zealand Army at the outbreak of war in 1939 and embarked with the First Echelon for the Middle East as a member of the 19th Battalion. In 1941 he served in the Greece and Crete campaigns. On 26 May 1941, during the Battle of Crete, Henderson was killed in action when his trench position was bombed. A letter from his commanding officer records that he died shortly afterwards while being tended by stretcher-earers.
Although initially buried under olive trees, his grave could not later be located. He has no known grave and is commemorated on the Athens Memorial at Phaleron War Cemetery, Greece. Henderson was 23 years old.
His name has been carried on within his family, reflecting an enduring act of remembrance across generations. In a message left in 2026 on Online Cenotaph, his great nephew Jack wrote: “I’m 23 now which is the same age the family lost you… I have been honoured enough to carry your name my whole life.” (Profile written for “A Flight to Remember”, an Anzac Day 2026 initiative by Online Cenotaph and Air New Zealand). AWMM - John Henderson was the son of Robert and Agnes (nee Allen) Henderson of Inglewood and New Plymouth. He went to Central School then New Plymouth Boys’ High School (NPBHS) where he was remembered for being an outstanding swimmer. On leaving school he was a member of the Star Football Club and the East End Surf Club. He enlisted in the Army at the outbreak of war in 1939 and sailed for the Middle East as a member of the 19th Battalion with the First Echelon. He was killed during a bomb attack in trenches of Crete on 26 May 1941. In a letter written by a Captain D. K. McLauchlan to John’s brother Jack he describes the attack that killed John and said he died a few minutes after the attack while being tended to by stretcher-bearers. He said he was buried under olive trees and the grave was marked with a wooden cross. However it appears his grave was not able to be located by the Graves Recovery Unit as his burial place is not recorded. Instead his name is remembered on the memorial in the Phaleron War Cemetery, Athens, Greece.Public - Louise - Researcher - 9 July 2019 - West, J. (1995). Lest We Forget. New Plymouth: New Plymouth Boy’s High School Centennial Trust.
Puke Ariki, ARC#WD.011774
Retrieved from https://collection.pukeariki.com/objects/104727
- John Henderson was the son of Robert Hugh Henderson and of Agnes Henderson (nee Allen), of Inglewood, Taranaki, New Zealand.
About death
- Death
- 26 May 1941 AWMM
Age 23 AWMM
Crete AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Athens Memorial, Phaleron War Cemetery, Athens, Greece AWMM
Sources
- External links
- Photograph (ref: WD.011774) held by Puke Ariki Museum, New Plymouth, New Zealand : pukeariki.com - Please do not reproduce without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact images@pukeariki.com for more information.
https://collection.pukeariki.com/objects/104727
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2106528
Sources Used - Sinclair, D. (1954). 19 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-19Ba.html
Further Reference
- Photograph (ref: WD.011774) held by Puke Ariki Museum, New Plymouth, New Zealand : pukeariki.com - Please do not reproduce without permission from Puke Ariki.
Contact images@pukeariki.com for more information.
- References
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 1: WW2 80 - Sinclair, D. (1954). 19 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- McClymont, W. (1959). To Greece. Wellington, N.Z.: Department Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Davin, D. (1953). Crete. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- This record was part of “A Flight to Remember”, an Anzac Day 2026 commemorative partnership between Online Cenotaph and Air New Zealand, where service stories were shared onboard a dawn flight from Auckland to Sydney.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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