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William James Hardham

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Portrait - No known copyright restrictions

Portrait - No known copyright restrictions

Identity

  • 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
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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Service

Wars and conflicts

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  • War
  • Campaign
    • Cape Colony AWMM
    • 24 May 1900-31 May 1902 Transvaal AWMM
    • Rhodesia AWMM
    • 1915-1916 Gallipoli AWMM
    • Sinai & Palestine AWMM
    • 1914-1916 Egypt 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

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Training and Enlistment

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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, WWI AWMM
      30 May 1915 : Wounded at Gallipoli AWMM
    • Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
      January 1919: Invalided to New Zealand , suffering from malaria AWMM

Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • 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. AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    13 April 1928 AWMM
    Age 51 AWMM
    WellingtonNew Zealand AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    • Karori Cemetery, Wellington, New Zealand AWMM Area 11 Block AA Row 03 Plot 062 AWMM
    • Karori Cemetery AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name
    Dunedin, Victoria Cross winners' plaque, Queens Gardens, Dunedin, New Zealand AWMM

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of William James Hardham

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  • In memory of his courage and loyalty.
    Public - William - Other Relative - 22 April 2015
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      Vol1: 301 AWMM
    • New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume IV. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      79: 2 AWMM
    • Bryant, G.A. (1972). Where the prize is highest : the stories of the New Zealanders who won the Victoria Cross. Auckland, N.Z.: Collins. AWMM
      Bryant, G.A. (1972), pp. 25-27, includes photo AWMM
    • Volunteers: the Journal of the New Zealand Military Historical Society AWMM
      The Boer War VC: William James Hardham. The Volunteers. Vol 25 No. 2 p. 76-78 AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
      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 AWMM
    • The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). Cheltenham, England: This England. AWMM
      The Register of the Victoria Cross. (1997). (3rd ed.). p. 139 AWMM
    • Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications AWMM
      Vol. 2: Includes portrait AWMM
    • 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. AWMM
      p.157 AWMM

Contributors

Command item
Command item
Add new record Refresh
DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
17 June 2018AllanRotoruaResearcher
11 August 2017JeniferWairarapaResearcher
22 April 2015WilliamAuckland NZOther Relative

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