William James Hardham
Born 31 Jul 1876 - Died 13 Apr 1928
- Service number
- South African 1251 AWMM
- WWI 11/661 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- South Africa Farrier Sergeant Major/Military AWMM New Zealand Mounted Rifles AWMM
- WW1 Major/Military AWMM Wellington Mounted Rifles AWMM
- War
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- William James AWMM
- Surname
- Hardham AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- South African 1251 AWMM
- WWI 11/661 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 31 Jul 1876 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
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- Birth notes
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- Address before enlistment
- South African 5 Oxford Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- South African 10 Riddiford Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- WW1 21 Riddlers Crescent, Petone, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Next of kin
- WW1 Mr George Hardham (father), 10 Cardall Street, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- WW1 Mrs Constance Evelyn Hardham (wife), 26 Ohiro Road, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 31 Mar 1900 AWMM Single/South African AWMM
- Pre 19 Mar 1902 AWMM Single/South African AWMM
- Pre 16 Oct 1914 AWMM Single/WWI AWMM
- Pre 21 Feb 1918 AWMM Married/WWI AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- Campaign
- Cape Colony AWMM
- 24 May 1900-31 May 1902 AWMM Transvaal AWMM
- Rhodesia AWMM
- 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
- 1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
- Sinai & Palestine AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- South African 1251 AWMM
- WWI 11/661 AWMM
- Military service
- Cadets (from 1891) AWMM
- Wellington Naval Artillery Volunteers (1895) AWMM
- Petone Naval Artillery Volunteers AWMM
- Coronation Contingent AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
VC. London Gazette, 4 October 1901. "On 28 January 1901, near Naauwpoort, this non-commissioned officer was with a section which was extended and hotly engaged with a party of about twenty Boers. Just before the force commenced to retire, Trooper McCrae was wounded, and his horse killed. Farrier Sergeant Major Hardham at once went, under a heavy fire, to his assistance, dismounted, and placed him on his own horse, and ran alongside until he had guided him to a place of safety." AWMM - Queen's South Africa Medal (Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 clasps) AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
- 1914-1915 Star AWMM
- British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM
- Victory Medal with oak leaf AWMM
- Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal AWMM
- New Zealand Volunteer Service Medal AWMM
- New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal AWMM
- Victoria Cross (VC) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- South Africa Blacksmith and farrier/Civilian AWMM
- South Africa Blacksmith and farrier/Civilian AWMM
- WW1 Blacksmith/Civilian AWMM
- WW1 Blacksmith/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- South Africa Vessel was Gymeric AWMM Farrier Sergeant/Military AWMM 4 Contingent, 7 Company AWMM New Zealand Mounted Rifles, 4th Contingent (Rough Riders) AWMM
- South Africa Vessel was Devon AWMM Lieutenant/Military AWMM 9 Contingent, H Squadron AWMM New Zealand Mounted Rifles, 9th Contingent AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM - WW1 16 Oct 1914 AWMM
HMNZT 6 or HMNZT 10 AWMM Vessel was Orari or Arawa AWMM Captain/Military AWMM Wellington Mounted Rifles AWMM 2nd Reinforcements AWMM
3rd Embarkation AWMM - WW1 21 Feb 1918-04 Apr 1918 AWMM
Moeraki 21 February 1918 AWMM Vessel was Moeraki AWMM Captain/Military AWMM 35th Reinforcements, Mounted Rifles Brigade AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
4th Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
30 May 1915 : Wounded at Gallipoli AWMM - Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
January 1919: Invalided to New Zealand , suffering from malaria AWMM
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- South Africa Farrier Sergeant Major/Military AWMM
New Zealand Mounted Rifles AWMM - WW1 Major/Military AWMM
Wellington Mounted Rifles AWMM
- South Africa Farrier Sergeant Major/Military AWMM
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of George Hardham and Ann Gregory. Married in 1913 to Constance Evelyn Parsonson, she died 5 June 1960, age 73.
Enlisted twice for the Boer War. He was the first man in New Zealand to receive the Victoria Cross during the Boer War and received it from King Edward VII on 1 July 1902 in London. Rescued Trooper J. McRae (Service number 1301) near Naauwpoort, Transvaal, 28 January 1910
1911 he resided at Fitzherbert Street, Hutt, Wellington, his occupation a blacksmith
1914 August he was recalled for Expeditionary Force service, promoted to Captain and attached to Queen Alexandra's 2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron, Wellington Mounted Rifles
In WWI he was in Egypt and Gallipoli, rank of Captain, with the Wellington Mounted Rifles. Left for Gallipoli on 9 May 1915. Wounded at Gallipoli 30 May 1915. Returned to New Zealand (February 1916)
February 1918: embarked for Egypt (rank of Major) in command of the 35 and 36 (Mounted) Reinforcements
April to October 1918 : Palestine, rank of Major ( 15 May 1918 )with the 35 Mounted Rifle Reinforcements
Commandant of the Desert Corps Rest Camp in Cairo
January 1919 : invalided to New Zealand suffering from Malaria
Moeraki then transhipped to "Ormonde" at Sydney for Suez. His medals are held by the National Army Museum, Waiouru, New Zealand.
Auckland Museum Boer War "Sieges, Shrapnel and Scalpels " display.
His father was named George Hardham.
Father was named George Hardham.
SuppNom: Disembarked Melbourne, medically unfit, 7/3/18. AWMM
About death
- Death
- 13 Apr 1928 AWMM
Age 51 AWMM - Date of death
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- Age at death
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- Place of death
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- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
- Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM Area 11 Block AA Row 03 Plot 062 AWMM
- Karori Cemetery AWMM
- Cemetery name
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- Grave reference
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- Obituary
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- Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
- Dunedin, Victoria Cross winners' plaque, Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military Personnel Files - VC & George Cross holders Army War medals and decorations indexes and registers
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R22311763
Further Reference - Military Personnel Files - VC & George Cross holders Army War medals and decorations indexes and registers
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R23523704
Further Reference - National Archives of New Zealand, National Collection of War Art. Portrait.
http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/238
Further Reference - NZ History online database of New Zealand embarkations for the Boer War
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/new-zealand-in-the-south-african-boer-war/database
Further Reference - Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Published on Te Ara, The Encyclopedia of New Zealand online.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/3h7/1
Further Reference - Ministry for Culture and Heritage, NZ History online. Dunedin RSA building, formerly site of the VC winners' plaque.
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/dunedin-rsa-war-memorial
Further Reference - Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q8013457
Further Reference
- Military Personnel Files - VC & George Cross holders Army War medals and decorations indexes and registers
- References
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 301 - New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume IV. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
79: 2 - Bryant, G.A. (1972). Where the prize is highest : the stories of the New Zealanders who won the Victoria Cross. Auckland, N.Z.: Collins.
Bryant, G.A. (1972), pp. 25-27, includes photo - Volunteers: the Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society
The Boer War VC: William James Hardham. The Volunteers. Vol 25 No. 2 p. 76-78 - Sanders, J. (1974). New Zealand VC winners : the story of New Zealand servicemen who won the greatest honour for valour on the battlefield. Auckland, N.Z.: Wilson and Horton.
- Harper, G., & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins NZ.
Harper, G. & Richardson, C. (2006). In the face of the enemy: The complete history of the Victoria Cross and New Zealand. Auckland, NZ: HarperCollins NZ.p.29-30,60, 64-66, 227, 232 - The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England.
The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). p. 139 - Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait - Stowers, R. (2009). Rough riders at war : history of New Zealand's involvement in the Anglo-Boer War 1899-1902 and information on all members of the 10 New Zealand contingents. Hamilton, N.Z.: R. Stowers.
p.157 - McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers.
- Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
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