Darcy Clarence Hadfield
Born 1 Dec 1889 - Died 15 Sept 1964
- Service number
- WWI 40552 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- —
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Darcy Clarence AWMM
- Surname
- Hadfield AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWI 40552 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
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- Religion
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Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 1 Dec 1889 AWMM
- Date of birth
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- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- Son of William Welby & Martha Adele Anne HADFIELDPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - NZ BDM Birth Records
- Address before enlistment
- 26 Cook Street, Rocky Nook , AucklandPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - Military record
- Post war occupation
- —
- Next of kin
- Mrs S.M. Hadfield (wife), 26 George Street, Rocky Nook, Auckland, New Zealand AWMM
- Relationship status
- 1916 Darcy Clarence HADFIELD married Sarita May COYLEPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - NZ BDM Marriage Records
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
- Campaign
- 1917 AWMM Passchendaele AWMM
- 1917 AWMM Passchendaele AWMM
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWI 40552 AWMM
- Military service
- —
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
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Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
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Training and Enlistment
- Military training
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- Branch Trade Proficiency
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- Enlistment
- WW1 Unknown AWMM Shipwright/Civilian AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
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Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW1 14 Mar 1917-21 May 1917 AWMM
HMNZT 79 AWMM Vessel was Ruapehu AWMM Corporal/Military AWMM 23rd Reinforcements, Auckland Infantry Regiment, A Company AWMM New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
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- Days interned
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- Liberation date
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- POW liberation details
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- Liberation Repatriation
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- POW serial number
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Medical history
- Medical notes
- Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWI AWMM
Wounded at Passchendaele AWMM
Last known rank
- Last rank
- —
- Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Son of William Welby Hadfield and Martha Adele Ann nee Snow
Husband of Sereta (Sarita) May Coyle; father of three
Champion sculler in New Zealand first winning in 1913 the singles championship
Whilst enlisted was a member of the NZEF Rowing Club. Won the singles at the Royal Henley Peace Regatta in July 1919.
Marshal Pétain, the French commander in chief, presented gold stop-watches to the two men he considered to be the outstanding competitors at the Inter Allied Games Games, Paris 1919 both went to New Zealanders, Darcy Hadfield (sculler) and Dan Mason, a middle-distance runner. (McMillan. DNZB.)
An Olympic representative at Antwerp 1920, winning a bronze medal and later a professional rower.
Inducted in 1990 to the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame AWMM
About death
- Death
- 15 Sept 1964 AWMM
- Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- 74yrsPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183103898/darcy_clarence-hadfield
- Place of death
- AucklandPublic - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183103898/darcy_clarence-hadfield
- Cause of death
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- Death notes
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- Cemetery
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- Cemetery name
- Cremated, Ashes scattered on the water at Okahu Bay in the Waitemata Harbour.Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183103898/darcy_clarence-hadfield
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Champion single sculler, he won Bronze at the 1920 Olympic Games at Antwerp. Born at Awaroa Inlet, Tasman Bay.
At 13 Darcy started working on the family farm & learned carpentry & boatbuilding from his father. In 1910 he moved to Auckland where he was employed at Charles Bailey's boat yard as a shipwright. Later he worked for the Union Steam Ship Company of NZ
Soon after his marriage in 1916 he embarked on active service with the 1st Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment. In 1917 he was wounded at Passchendaele (Passendale) & recuperated in England. He recovered & returned to the trenches, but suffered a bronchitis attack & was recuperating in England when the war ended.Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 21 June 2025 - https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/183103898/darcy_clarence-hadfield - Memorial name
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- Memorial reference
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Memorial
- Memorial name
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Sources
- External links
- Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R16789898
Further Reference - McMillan, N.A.C. 'Hadfield, Darcy Clarence 1889 - 1964'. Dictionary of New Zealand Biography, updated 22 June 2007
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz
Further Reference - New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame
http://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/index.pasp
Further Reference - Olympedia. (2023). Darcy Hadfield.
https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/39191
Further Reference - New Zealand Liberation Museum | Te Arawhata. (2024, July 3). Oarsome talent.
https://nzliberationmuseum.com/oarsome-talent/
Further Reference - Collinge, Ross. (2014). George Cooke, an Olympian Soldier. Journal of Olympic History, 22(2), p.28-30.
https://isoh.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/262.pdf
Further Reference
- Military personnel file
- References
- Macdonald, L. (1978). Passchendaele : the story of the third Battle of Ypres 1917. London : Penguin Books.
- Harper, G. (2000). Massacre at Passchendaele : the New Zealand story. Auckland, N.Z.: HarperCollins.
- 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.
57: 4 - 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. 2: Includes portrait - Burton, O. (1922). The Auckland regiment : being an account of the doings on active service of the First, Second and Third Battalions of the Auckland Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Whitcombe & Tombs.
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