Samuel James French

Forenames

Samuel James AWMM

Surname

French AWMM

Service number

WWI 16/1480 AWMM

Gender

Male AWMM

Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe

Iwi Māori, Māori AWMM

Religion

Church of England, Christian AWMM

Birth

5 Jun 1884 AWMM
Kawhia, Waikato, New Zealand AWMM

Address before enlistment

Pre 27 Feb 1916 AWMM Peel Street, Westport, New Zealand AWMM

Next of kin

Mrs Mary French (wife), Peel Street, Westport, New Zealand AWMM

Relationship status

• Pre 26 Jul 1916 AWMM Married AWMM
  Married, 2 children AWMM
• 1908 Samuel James FRENCH married Mary Lucas HOHEPA
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 June 2024 - Military Record

War

World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM

Armed force / branch

Army AWMM

Service number

WWI 16/1480 AWMM

Military service

Westport Garrison Artillery AWMM

Military training

Narrow Neck AWMM

Enlistment

WW1 27 Feb 1916 AWMM
Age  29 AWMM
Fitter/Military AWMM

Embarkation details

WW1 29 Jul 1916-28 Sep 1916 AWMM
HMNZT 60 AWMM Vessel was Ulimaroa AWMM Private AWMM 5th Reinforcements AWMM Maori Contingent AWMM

Medical notes

• Height, Unknown Period AWMM
  5 foot 10 inches AWMM
• Weight, Unknown Period AWMM
  160 pounds AWMM
• Died of Sickness, Cause of Death AWMM
  Died of cerebro spinal menigitis AWMM

Last rank

WW1 Corporal/Military AWMM
New Zealand Maori Contingent AWMM

Husband of Mary Lucas (nee Hohepa French). Father of Rangi Doris b 1912 and Joseph Thomas Frederick French b 1915.

SuppNom: Died at sea, 7th August 1916.

Next of Kin: Mrs M. French, Peel St, Westport (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM

Death

7 Aug 1916 AWMM

Age at death

29 - 30yrs

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 June 2024 - NZ BDM Death records

Place of death

At sea - on board the ship 'Ultimuroa'

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 June 2024 - Military Record

Cause of death

Died of Sickness AWMM

Obituary

• Obituary. The Ulima-roarer.
  
  It is with the deepest regret that we have to chronicle tlie death of Corpl. S. J. French, of the Sixth Maori Reinforcements, who died on Monday, Aug-. 7. Corpl. French came from Westport, and was a married man with two children. He was about 28 years of age, and was a wellknown footballer, having played in the Buller reps., and also in the South Island “B” Team.
  
  The last rites were performed at sea on Aug. 8, Corpl. Webb (acting chaplain) offi-ciating. The pall-bearersi were: Sergt.
  Iiukiruki, Corporals Pienelia, Nathan, Hooper, Ngartai, and Carroll. Sergt. Miru had charge of the firing party, and some
  30 men sang th a t very old Maori hymn, “Piko nei Te Matenga.”
  
  The sym pathy of all on board Troopship CO goes out to th widow and children in their bereavement. They can find some
  consolation in the knowledge that Corpl French gave his life to his King and Country in the great cause of Liberty and
  Justice. AWMM
• Corporal Samuel French, who died at sea on August 7, was the oldest son -4 Mr. John French, of Te Rauamoa, Waikato. He was born at Auckland 30 years ago, and was educated at the Te Aute College, Hawke's Bay. After leaving school he engaged in farming with his father at Te Rauamoa, but at the time of his enlistment he was working in the Westport Harbour Board's workshops. Corporal French was a member of the Westport Football Club's senior fifteen when it won the Senior Shield at Westport in 1915. A brother, Corporal Thomas French, was wounded in the arm in France on September 27 last. The late soldier leaves a widow and two children.
  Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 16 July 2024 - ROLL OF HONOUR.
  NEW ZEALAND HERALD, VOLUME LIII, ISSUE 16375, 1 NOVEMBER 1916, PAGE 8

Memorial name

Canterbury Provincial Memorial

Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 26 June 2024 - https://nz.images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=Canterbury+Provincial+Memoria

Memorial name

• Canterbury Provincial Memorial, Christchurch, New Zealand AWMM
• Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM

Related objects

External links

• Military personnel file
  https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R21005182
  Further Reference
• New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
  http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-130605.html
  Further Reference
• A Street Near You record
  https://astreetnearyou.org/person/642538/-
  Further Reference
• Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
  https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/642538
  Further Reference
• Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
  https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20201108000000/https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-CowMaor.html
  Further Reference

References

• New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1917). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume II. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
  37: 37
• Soutar, M. (2019). Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War. New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
• 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. 5: Includes portrait
• The ulima-roarer : a collection of wails & fishy stories, etc., from the Indian Ocean. (1916). [Indian Ocean]: [15th Reinforcements].
• Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
• Cowan, J. (1926). The Maoris in the Great War. Auckland, N.Z.: Maori Regimental Committee by Whitcombe & Tombs.
• Pugsley, C. (1995). Te Hokowhitu a Tu : the Maori Pioneer Battalion in the first World War. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed.