Richard Eric Hale
Born 10 Sept 1892 - Died 14 Aug 1917
- Service number
- WWI 16/5 AWMM
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Eric AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- 1st NZ Maori ContingentPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Last rank
- WW1 Sergeant AWMM New Zealand Pioneer Battalion AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- SergeantPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military Record
- Forenames
- Richard Eric AWMM
- Surname
- Hale AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- Dick AWMM
- Eric AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 16/5 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Religion
- Roman CatholicPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military Record
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 10 Sept 1892 AWMM
- Date of birth
- 10 Sept 1892Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Place of birth
- Tolaga Bay, East CoastPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Birth notes
- son of William Frederic & Annie Gertrude HALEPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Address before enlistment
- WW1 Croixelles, Nelson, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- WW1 Mrs A.G. Hale (mother), Mangatuna, Tolaga Bay, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 14 Feb 1915 AWMM Single AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- Egyptian - Gallipoli, Egyptian E F & Western EuropeanPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- 1st NZ Maori ContingentPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Service number
- WWI 16/5 AWMM
- Military service
- 1914-1917Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- 1914-1915 Star
British War Medal
Victory MedalPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 5 March 2016 - Military Record
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- Senior CadetsPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM
Age 18 AWMM - 15 Nov 1915 at AvondalePublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- WW1 Unknown AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- 22 yrs 1mthPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
- Occupation before enlistment
- LabourerPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Military record
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 14 Feb 1915-26 Mar 1915 AWMM
HMNZT 20 AWMM Vessel was Warrimoo AWMM Private AWMM B Company AWMM 1st Maori Contingent AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Sergeant AWMM
New Zealand Pioneer Battalion AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of William Frederic and Annie Gertrude Hale
Four sons went to war William Fredrick Hale (43121) the eldest; Harold Hale (12781); Nathaniel Hale (16/1486) all three survived the war; Eric Hale (16/5) was killed in action
His niece wrote: "his mother was very proud of Dick's scholastic achievements as one of the first intake of boarders at Gisborne Boy's High School where he matriculated and achieved the fifth highest pass marks in New Zealand that year. He was then offered employment in the Head Office of the Department of Statistics, Wellington which he found uncongenial so resigned, unbeknown to his mother and secured a scrub-cutting contract in Nelson, employed a gang of Maori boys to work for him then when War was declared he gathered his work force and shipped them back to Wellington where he enlisted them all in the Pioneer Battalion. Confirmation of this would appear to be verified by the sequence of regimental numbers adjacent to his, many of whom came from his locality and saw action in Gallipoli.
When Dick's older brother Nat arrived in France he served with the same company as his brother. He wrote of his brother's death to his mother."
The Auckland Museum Library's manuscripts collection holds three letters written by Dick Hale back home to his sister 'Janey' in New Zealand. [Ref. MS 2010/7]
Enlisted as Dick presumed to be Richard but family note his real name was Eric. Increased age to enlist
Next of Kin: Mrs A. G. Hale, Tologa Bay, Gisborne (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 1)) AWMM - NZ Maori Battalion
IN A TIGHT CORNER.
HOW LIEUT. KAIPARA. AND HIS COMRADES FELL.
Corporal Walter Heany, of the N.Z. Pioneers, writing to his mother, Mrs. Donald Gordon, of Gisborne, gives the first details that have been received respecting the death of Lieut A.P Kaipara and a number of other East Coast members of the Pioneers. The writer explains that the battalion went out wiring a stronghold that the New Zealanders had taken from the Germans. Fritz had made things very warm for them since, Corporal Heany remarks. The Pioneers got to within 100 yards of where they had to erect the entanglements, when Fritz opened up on them. The boys halted for it awhile, and then moved through shell fire to their sector. Shells were thrown all around them, and machine gun fire was turned on, this being about 1.3O a.m. The writer, details the circumstances under which Bill Morris, of Gisborne (wounded), was carried out to, the dressing station. On the way back they were up to their waists in mud, and Fritz concentrated fire on them, thus delaying them a good deal. The shells were bashing in the trenches and ploughing through the mud in the shell fire was a trying experience. Patience, however, got them through safely, though they were all fairly exhausted. Lieut. Kaipara rushed along and requested them 'to go back for Ehau, another Gisbornite who was wounded in the leg. As there was no one else he and his mate went back again with Kaipara. They were fairly beaten, and shells were falling worse than ever. Kaipara kept urging them to hurry, but they were so done up they could hardly for dear life lift their legs out of the boggy ground. Frequently they had to put the stretcher down, and then shells would burst near them, the concussion knocking them over in the mud. Eventually his mate dragged himself back to get fresh men, and he could hear Ehau calling "Come on, Heany" but he was completely knocked up. It was then that Kaipara dropped, shot through the head by a piece of shell. The writer went on to say that he had simply to lie down in the mud with the pathetic words still ringing in his ears and cursing himself for being unable to carry on. Subsequently he managed to drag himself out and to get fresh men to carry the wounded out. Two nights later they went out again to dig a trench and about midnight Fritz poured shells into them again. One shell came into the trench and killed Viv Ruru and another chap who had just joined up, besides wounding Trotter and Maharangi Pohatu. Heany was placed in charge to carry Trotter down to the dressing station, where he learned than Kaa, the Ngati Porou officer was killed, also Winiana and Dick Hale (corporal of the section). The party was carrying out one of the fellows (killed), when a shell landed right in the middle of them. With an officer, the writer went back and found their bodies, which were brought in and laid to rest. All were Gisborne and Coast boys. Donald Cameron was killed the same night as Kaipara. The casualties during the two nights were Killed, Lieutenants P Kaa, Kaipara, Cameron, and MacNeil, Corporal Hale, Privates V. Ruru, Kopua, Winiana.
wounded: - Lieutenant J Ehau, Privates R. Trotter. W. Morris, Manuel, M. Pohatu, and P KingiPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Poverty Bay Herald, 12 November 1917 - His elder brother of Cpl Maku Hale (#16/96) Sergeant Richard Hale, Regimental No 16/5 also of Tolaga Bay and B Company 1st Maori Contingent fought along side his young brother Maku, and went on (after Maku being wounded 1916) to see further actions in France at Messines and in Belgium on the Ypres Salient where he was killed in action their on the 14th of August 1917.Public - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/photo/corporal-maku-hale-nzef-1st-maori-contingent
- Son of William Frederic and Annie Gertrude Hale
About death
- Death
- 14 Aug 1917 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Underhill Farm Cemetery, Comines-Warneton, Hainaut, Belgium AWMM A. 29 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- Gisborne's War MemorialPublic - Lorraine M - Researcher - 9 February 2016 - Research
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- St Mary's Church Memorial Board, Tikitiki near Rangitukia, East Coast, New Zealand AWMM
- Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories AWMM
Related objects
Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R16790123
Further Reference - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-130612.html
Further Reference - 'Tikitiki church war memorial ', URL: http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/media/photo/tikitiki-church-war-memorial, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 29-Oct-2014
https://nzhistory.govt.nz/memorial/tikitiki-church-war-memorial
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/445197/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/445197
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 - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Information kindly provided by family
Correspondence with family - New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
Vol1: 292 - Soutar, M. (2019). Whitiki! Whiti! Whiti! E!: Maori In the First World War. New Zealand: David Bateman Ltd.
- Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- New Zealand. Army. 1st Maori Contingent. Scroll of the 1st New Zealand Maori Contingent, 1915. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-624.
- 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.
- Information kindly provided by family
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.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.