John Bennett McClure
Born 31 Oct 1885 - Died 12 Jun 1917
- Service number
- WWI 37000 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM Wellington Infantry Regiment AWMM
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- John Bennett AWMM
- Surname
- McClure AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 37000 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- Presbyterian, Christian AWMM
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 31 Oct 1885 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Pre 26 Sep 1916 AWMM 65 Grafton Road, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs E.J. McClure (wife), Mac-Ben, Mount View Road, Morningside, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- Pre 19 Jan 1917 AWMM Married AWMM
Married, 2 children AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1914-1919 AWMM Western Front AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 37000 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- —
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW1 26 Sep 1916 AWMM
Age 30 AWMM
Farmer/Civilian AWMM - Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 19 Jan 1917-27 Mar 1917 AWMM
HMNZT 75 AWMM Vessel was Waitemata AWMM Rifleman AWMM Reinforcements H Company AWMM New Zealand Rifle Brigade AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
5 feet 9 inches AWMM - Weight, Unknown Period AWMM
11 stone AWMM - Complexion, Unknown Period AWMM
fair AWMM - Eye colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Blue AWMM - Hair colour, Unknown Period AWMM
Brown AWMM - Killed in Action, Cause of Death AWMM
- Height, Unknown Period AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- WW1 Private AWMM
Wellington Infantry Regiment AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Family stories believed that John was born in Kirkcudbright and eventually came to Liverpool in the care of his sister; however in his attestation form place of birth was stated as Liverpool. When his sister Elizabeth Ann McClure married James Blower who hailed from Cumbria in 1892, they adopted him and brought him up as Uncle Johnnie to their six subsequent children. On his maturity circa 1907 they asked him to emigrate to New Zealand where he prospered ,and married Elizabeth Jane on 27.9.13. He volunteered at the start of World War 1. In 1916 his troopship berthed at Liverpool Princes Landing Stage en route to France. Here he managed to get a message to his sister and she was able to meet him on the quay for a short period. For the want of a keepsake to pass over, he gave her one of his dog collar tags with 21st Reinforcements on it. This was the last contact.
It is believed that after he was killed, his family attempted to return to Britain, but their ship was sunk and they did not survive. According to distant family, this was never verified and may not be the truth.
According the the Military records, Elizabeth and John had adopted a child, John Reginald. His birth mother is recorded as Rachel Ethel Thompson.
His military record records the circumstances of his death by an eye witness as follows: '..he was struck on the head by a piece of shell and died instantly as we were going to take over the Aust front line of strong p.. late at night.'
A second witness records the incident as follows: 'he was killed instantly by a shell at Messines & was buried back out of P..., I forget the name of the place, but I have seen the grave. I was in the same trench 18" deep & close to him. He was the first man to be killed out of our Coy.
Next of Kin: Mrs E. J. McClure Wellington St., Auckland (Roll of Honour, Auckland Province 1914-1918 (Volume 2)) AWMM
About death
- Death
- 12 Jun 1917 AWMM
Age 31 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- Killed in Action AWMM
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- —
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- —
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial, Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium 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/R10924767
Further Reference - A Street Near You record
https://astreetnearyou.org/person/1738047/-
Further Reference - Commonwealth War Graves Commission Casualty record
https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/1738047
Further Reference - New Zealand War Graves Trust
https://www.nzwargraves.org.nz/
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Information kindly provided by family
- New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1918). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force Volume III. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
52: 33 - 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. 3: Includes portrait - Roll of Honour, Auckland Province (digital copy), 1914 - 1919. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2016-2.
- Austin, W. (1924). The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (The Earl of Liverpool's Own). Wellington, N.Z.: L T Watkins.
- Waitemata wobbler : N.Z. Exped. Forces, XXI Reinforcement. De La Mare, Frederick Archibald, 1877-, editor. Rowland, A.E.M. (Albert Edward MacKay), editor. Harris, E.W. (Edwin Walter), editor. -- [On board ship] : [Magazine Committee] Printed by Cape Times Ltd. : [1917].
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