Groves Edward Daniell

Born 29 Jan 1890 - Died 4 Oct 1916

Service number: WWI 2/256 AWMM
Also known as: —
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Last rank: WW1 Captain/Military AWMM New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

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Portrait of Captain Groves Edward Daniell, Archives New Zealand, R24184956. Image may be subject to copyright restriction.

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Wars and conflicts

War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
Campaign: 1915-1916 AWMM Gallipoli AWMM
1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
1914-1916 AWMM Egypt AWMM
Battle of the Somme AWMM
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Service number: WWI 2/256 AWMM
Military service: —
Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers: —

Military decorations

Medals and Awards: Military Cross (MC) AWMM
Citation for Military Cross (MC): "For conspicuous gallantry and ability in handling the battery under his command. On the afternoon of 8 August, this officer took over four guns of the 57th Bde RFA. Detachments were formed out of 4 NCO's, 22 gunners from the 2nd Battery N.Z.F.A. and 20 men from the 5th reinforcements who had landed at Anzac during the morning - the position was selected late in the afternoon and that night 2 guns were got into action and dug in at dawn. Fire was opened on Chunuk Bair but one gun was soon put out of action. Owing to the position being so exposed to shell and ammunition fire, it was changed during the night; two more were bought up and at dawn on 10 August the battery was ready to fire again which it did with great effect although subjected to a heavy crossfire from machine guns and a good deal of shellfire." (London Gazette, 14 January 1916, p. 591, WA 22/5/10) AWMM
Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
Citation for Mentioned in Despatches (MiD): "In connection with the operations described in General I. Hamilton's despatch dated 11 December 1915." (London Gazette, 28 January 1916, p. 1209) AWMM
Victory Medal AWMM
British War Medal (1914-1920) AWMM

Training and Enlistment

Military training: —
Branch Trade Proficiency: —
Enlistment: WW1 Soldier/Military AWMM
Age on enlistment: —
Occupation before enlistment: —

Embarkations

Embarkation details: WW1 16 Oct 1914-03 Dec 1914 AWMM
HMNZT 7 or HMNZT 10 AWMM Vessel was Arawa or Limerick AWMM Captain/Military AWMM New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM Main Body AWMM

Medical history

Medical notes: Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM

Last known rank

Last rank: WW1 Captain/Military AWMM
New Zealand Field Artillery AWMM
Last rank: —

Biographical information

Son of Percy Edward and Mary Daniell, of 24 Ruhine Street, Palmerston North.

Also served in Egypt and Gallipoli.

Gained commission as Captain on 5 August 1914 (Studholme 1928).

Officer Commanding 6th Howitzer Battery.

"Captain of the Sixth Battalion, N.Z.F.A., was here from the first term of 1906. He died a hero’s death, endeavouring to rescue his injured comrades from a gun-pit in which a premature explosion had occurred. On leaving us he joined the staff of the N.Z. Loan and Mercantile Co. in Palmerston North, and subsequently enlisted in the Permanent Artillery, being for a time stationed in Auckland. He left New Zealand with the Main Body as Captain in the 2nd Battery, and was all through the Gallipoli campaign. He left for France in charge of a battery, and was doing good service at the time of his death in 1916. While at Gallipoli he was mentioned in Sir Ian Hamilton’s despatches, and awarded the Military Cross for gallantry and skill." (In Memoriam, 1914-1918 [Wanganui Collegiate School])

The book 'Handbook on battery drill for Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force)' which is held in the Auckland War Memorial Museum Library is signed by E. G. Daniell with the following annotation, written by an unknown person: "Lieut. Daniell, whose signature appears opposite, was the first regular officer to receive appointment as Adjutant of a F.A. Brigade in N.Z., the appointment dating from the formation of the Territorial Force under the "Kitchener" scheme for compulsory training about 1910. At this time the 4 gun 15 lb B.L. Batteries of the old Volunteer Force were enlarged to 6 gun 18 lb A. F. Batteries and the number of Batteries was doubled. Lieut. Daniell went overseas with the artillery of the Main Body, 1st Expeditionary Force & served continually till about the end of 1917, when he was killed by the explosion of an ammunition dump whilst endeavouring to suppress flames started by German shell fire. He was awarded the MM at an earlier date. [W.M.T?]"

E.G. Daniell's signature is written in the front of Mason, C. C. (1910) copy accession number 104560.

Next of Kin: Mr P. Daniell, Ruahine St, Palmerston N. (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM

About death

Death: 4 Oct 1916 AWMM
Date of death: —
Age at death: —
Place of death: —
Cause of death: Killed in Action AWMM
Death notes: Groves was killed alongside Lieutenant Ewan McLean BROOKES.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14239, 6 March 1917, Page 3
HEROIC AUCKLANDER.
KILLED IN SAVING OTHERS.
A letter received by Mrs A. E. Brookes, of Mount Albert, from Lieut. Colonel F. B. Sykes, D.R.A., officer commanding the second brigade, New Zealand Field Artillery, gives particulars of the circumstances in which her son, Lieut. E. M. Brookes, met his death at the front. The facts were that a shell burst in the bore or at the muzzle of a gun, and set alight the cartridges in the gun-pit. "The detachment," says Colonel Sykes, "evacuated the pit, but found that two men had been knocked out, and were still in the pit. Your son and four men at once went up to extricate these men, and to put out the fire. One man was got out, when the shells in the pit and in other pits near detonated. I very much regret to say that your son, Capt. Daniell, and three men were killed instantaneously.''
Lieutenant-Colonel Sykes adds "I feel the loss of your son and Captain Daniell very much, personally, as both were in the second battery with me on leaving New Zealand. Your son was with me on Plugge's Plateau, for 10 weeks, in much discomfort, and a good deal of danger. He was always cheery, and never a day sick or away from duty during the whole time. As an officer, he was showing great keenness and capability, and was doing very well. It may be some small consolation to you to know that he died gallantly, taking great risk without the slightest hesitation."
Public - Sarndra - Researcher - 4 January 2016 - Paperspast portal via National Library of New Zealand website; http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=search&d=PBH19170306.2.15.24&srpos=24&e=-------10--21----2a+e+brookes--
Cemetery: Flatiron Copse Cemetery, Mametz, Somme, France AWMM I.G.28. AWMM
Cemetery name: —
Grave reference: —
Obituary: Captain Groves Edward Daniell, New Zealand Artillery, killed on October 4th, aged 26 years, was the eldest son of Mr. Percy Daniell, of Manawatu, New Zealand. Before the war he held a commission in the permanent New Zealand Artillery, and his commission as captain in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force dated from the first month of the war. He served throughout the whole of the Dardanelles campaign, was mentioned in dispatches, and was decorated with the Military Cross early in the present year. (Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F., 30 October 1916, p. 120) AWMM
Memorial name: —
Memorial reference: —

Sources

External links: Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20995176
Further Reference
New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-130149.html
Further Reference
A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/556447/-
Further Reference
Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/556447
Further Reference
New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
References: New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 173
Chronicles of the N.Z.E.F.: Records of Matters Concerning the Troops and Gazette of Patriotic Effort [London, England] : New Zealand War Contingent Association, [1916-1919]
Obituary: No. 5, 30 October 1916, p. 120.
In Memoriam, 1914-1918. (1919).Wanganui, N.Z.: Collegiate School.
McDonald, W. (2001). Honours and awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. Napier, N.Z.: Helen McDonald.
p. 79.
Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer.
p. 93.
Mason, C.C. (1910). Handbook on battery drill for Royal Field Artillery (Territorial Force). London, England: Forster Groom.
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. 1: Includes portrait
Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
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.
Byrne, J.R. (1922). New Zealand Artillery in the Field, 1914 - 18. Auckland, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.

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Groves Edward Daniell