condensed discuss document expanded export feedback print share remove reset document_white enquire_white export_white report_white

Cenotaph record

Eric Andrew Riddell

-
Lay a poppy
Portrait, Weekly News 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Weekly News 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

Contribute ›
  • Title
  • Forenames
    Eric Andrew AWMM
  • Surname
    Riddell AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    1722 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

Contribute ›
  • Birth
    20 July 1911 AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
    Pre 29 September 1939 AWMM 9 Pupuke Road, Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    Mrs T.M. Riddell (wife), 12 Hurstmere Road, Takapuna, North Shore, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    Pre 5 January 1940 AWMM Married AWMM

Service

Wars and conflicts

Contribute ›
  • War
    World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
  • Campaign
  • Armed force / branch
    Army AWMM
  • Service number
    1722 AWMM
  • Military service
    13 years AWMM
  • Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers

Military decorations

Contribute ›

Training and Enlistment

Contribute ›
  • Military training
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
    WW2 29 September 1939 AWMM
    Age 28 AWMM
    Meter Reader/Civilian AWMM
    AWMM
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Prisoner of war

Contribute ›
  • Capture details
    • WW2 POW - Stalag XVIII-A, Wolfsberg, Austria AWMM
      28 April 1941 AWMM
      Captured in Greece, reported missing May 1941 AWMM
    • WW2 POW - Greece POW Deaths (R25405152)
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number
    WWII 248 AWMM

Medical history

Contribute ›
  • Medical notes
    • Height, Unknown Period AWMM
      5 foot 9 inches AWMM
    • Killed or died while a Prisoner of War, Cause of Death AWMM
      Died of sickness whilst a prisoner of war AWMM
    • 19 July 1941 AWMMOther, WWII AWMM
      Strangulation of bowels. AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

Contribute ›
  • Son of William James Riddell and of Annie Riddell (nee Graham), of Takapuna; husband of Thelma Mary Riddell

    Served as a Sergeant and for 13 years with the 1st Battery, Field Artillery

    Reported missing 24 May 1941; file annotated located at Stalag XVIIIA 13 September 1941.

    His wife, Thelma, received notice of his death and then a letter saying he was a prisoner of war. This was a false hope and caused her some considerable distress. This was reported as "official errors" and drew editorial comment in the newspapers, The Herald and The Auckland Star. The service record includes letters between the Director of Publicity and the Director Base Records regarding the official communication to Gunner Riddell's family and a letter of apology to Thelma.

    He was orginally buried in the Public Cemetery at Lauamund, Drauwerk, Carinthia then transferred to the then British Military Cemetery at Klagenfurt later renamed the Klagenfurt War Cemetery

    His portrait is amongst those displayed in cases in the Auckland War Memorial Museum Hall f Memories, WW2

    Remembered on the Takapuna War Memorial, The Strand, Takapuna. AWMM
Read more

Death

About death

Contribute ›
  • Death
    19 July 1941 AWMM
    Age 29 AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Killed or died while a Prisoner of War AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Klagenfurt War Cemetery, Austria AWMM Grave 1 Plot 6 Row A AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

Contribute ›
  • Memorial name
    • Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 2 Hall of Memories AWMM
    • Takapuna War Memorial, The Strand, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
    • Takapuna War Memorial, (ex RSA Roll, on a boulder), The Strand, Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM

Roll of Honour

Remember Eric Andrew Riddell by laying a poppy.

Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of Eric Andrew Riddell

Leave a note

Contribute ›

Sources

Sources

Contribute ›
  • External links
  • References
    • Auckland Museum. Roll of Honour, Auckland Province, 1939 - 1945. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS 93/139. AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
      WW2 1: WW2 152 AWMM
    • Deaths While Prisoner of War - Navy, Army, Air Force and Civilians [WW2 NZ POW Deaths], Archives New Zealand, Wellington, AAAA 7393 Box 1 (R25405152). AWMM

The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.

Creative Commons LicenseOnline Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.