ROBERT GEORGE MCFARLANE
Regimental No. 10/1584
31 May 1895 - 8 August 1915
Private Robert George McFarlane, born 31 May 1895, was the third son of William Thomas (born Dundee, Scotland) and Annie McFarlane (nee Aplin, born in Wales). The McFarlane family lived in Paparangi, and Robert and his many siblings attended Johnsonville School. After leaving school Robert worked as a butcher for the Wellington Meat Company whose premises were at the bottom of Ngauranga Gorge. Roberts’ father may have worked for the NZ Railways Department, stationed at Johnsonville which at the time was a busy station on the main trunk line to the north.
When war was declared on 4 August 1914 Robert was still only 19 years old, so too young to enlist. Nevertheless, only a few months later, and still long before he turned 20, he managed to enlist by adding 2 years to his birthdate. The birthdate on his attestation papers was therefore incorrectly recorded as 2 June 1893 when he signed up on 20th December 1914 at Trentham from where he was posted to the Wellington Infantry Battalion. His description says he was aged 21 years 4 months, and that he was 5 foot 61/2 inches tall, weighed 137 lbs, with a chest measurement of 35 inches. He had a dark complexion, with brown eyes, black hair, and his religious beliefs were that of the Presbyterian church. His medical examination showed that he had a good hearing and eye sight, his heart and lungs were normal, he had good teeth and was free from hernia, varicose veins and haemorrhoids. He agreed to be vaccinated and so with no physical defects he was declared fit for duty. His next of kin was his father, and the last address in NZ was the family home in Johnsonville.
Robert left New Zealand with his Battalion on the 14 February 1915 on board HMNZT 17 “Maunganui” bound for Suez, Egypt, arriving there on 26 March 1915. After further training in Egypt his battalion was sent on the 9th May 1915 to the Dardanelles, Turkey, arriving to reinforce the first wave of men who had been landed only 3 weeks earlier.
Only three months later on the 8th August 1915 Robert was posted as missing. His body was never found and there was no report of how he died or where exactly. However, it can reasonably be assumed that he was fighting in the attack on Chunuk Bair, “one of the main objectives in the Battle of Sari Bair, fought 6-10 August 1915. The attack was to be carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, starting from the outposts on the shore and proceeding up the Sazli Beit Dere and the Chailak Dere. Meanwhile the New Zealand Mounted Rifles were to clear the foothills.”[i]
Robert was only just 20 when he was killed, one of the many young men to die in this forlorn and ultimately pointless campaign. A Board of Enquiry into his death was held 16 January 1916 at Ismailia, Egypt with the findings listed as “now believed to be dead”. The Board was signed by Captain McDonnell, President of Board, and the results were cabled to Headquarters on 23 January 1916.
As Robert has no known grave his name is on the Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial, Chunuk Bair Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey. The Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial is one of four memorials erected to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died on the Gallipoli peninsula and whose graves are not known. This memorial relates to the Battle of Sari Bair and in other operations in this sector. It bears more than 850 names.[ii]
The 1914-15 Star, the Plaque and Scroll were sent to Robert's father in Johnsonville on 17 Jun 1921, and the Victory Medal on 7 September 1922.
For several years on the anniversary of his death Roll of Honour Memorial notices were placed in the Evening Post by his family.
One of Robert’s six brothers, Bruce Walter McFarlane, also served in WW1, from October 1915, surviving several bouts of illness and slight wounding at various time before being discharged on 3rd August 1919. Along the way he married Vera Rosalie James in Newton Abbot Devon on 12th April 1919, and they eventually returned to New Zealand to settle in Johnsonville.
Another brother George McIntyre McFarlane also applied for military service on 13 August 1918, but was demobbed without having to serve overseas due to the end of the war being imminent.
Research conducted by Vivienne McIsaac with supplementary input by Barbara Mulligan and Zane Kidd.
SOURCES
Archives New Zealand: http://archway.archives.govt.nz/
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database: http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/locations
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: http://www.cwgc.org
National Library of New Zealand – Papers Past: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Births Deaths & Marriage Online: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
[i] http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/76000/CHUNUK%20BAIR%20%28NEW%20ZEALAND%29%20MEMORIAL
[ii] Ibid.
Regimental No. 10/1584
31 May 1895 - 8 August 1915
Private Robert George McFarlane, born 31 May 1895, was the third son of William Thomas (born Dundee, Scotland) and Annie McFarlane (nee Aplin, born in Wales). The McFarlane family lived in Paparangi, and Robert and his many siblings attended Johnsonville School. After leaving school Robert worked as a butcher for the Wellington Meat Company whose premises were at the bottom of Ngauranga Gorge. Roberts’ father may have worked for the NZ Railways Department, stationed at Johnsonville which at the time was a busy station on the main trunk line to the north.
When war was declared on 4 August 1914 Robert was still only 19 years old, so too young to enlist. Nevertheless, only a few months later, and still long before he turned 20, he managed to enlist by adding 2 years to his birthdate. The birthdate on his attestation papers was therefore incorrectly recorded as 2 June 1893 when he signed up on 20th December 1914 at Trentham from where he was posted to the Wellington Infantry Battalion. His description says he was aged 21 years 4 months, and that he was 5 foot 61/2 inches tall, weighed 137 lbs, with a chest measurement of 35 inches. He had a dark complexion, with brown eyes, black hair, and his religious beliefs were that of the Presbyterian church. His medical examination showed that he had a good hearing and eye sight, his heart and lungs were normal, he had good teeth and was free from hernia, varicose veins and haemorrhoids. He agreed to be vaccinated and so with no physical defects he was declared fit for duty. His next of kin was his father, and the last address in NZ was the family home in Johnsonville.
Robert left New Zealand with his Battalion on the 14 February 1915 on board HMNZT 17 “Maunganui” bound for Suez, Egypt, arriving there on 26 March 1915. After further training in Egypt his battalion was sent on the 9th May 1915 to the Dardanelles, Turkey, arriving to reinforce the first wave of men who had been landed only 3 weeks earlier.
Only three months later on the 8th August 1915 Robert was posted as missing. His body was never found and there was no report of how he died or where exactly. However, it can reasonably be assumed that he was fighting in the attack on Chunuk Bair, “one of the main objectives in the Battle of Sari Bair, fought 6-10 August 1915. The attack was to be carried out by two columns of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, starting from the outposts on the shore and proceeding up the Sazli Beit Dere and the Chailak Dere. Meanwhile the New Zealand Mounted Rifles were to clear the foothills.”[i]
Robert was only just 20 when he was killed, one of the many young men to die in this forlorn and ultimately pointless campaign. A Board of Enquiry into his death was held 16 January 1916 at Ismailia, Egypt with the findings listed as “now believed to be dead”. The Board was signed by Captain McDonnell, President of Board, and the results were cabled to Headquarters on 23 January 1916.
As Robert has no known grave his name is on the Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial, Chunuk Bair Cemetery, Gallipoli, Turkey. The Chunuk Bair (New Zealand) Memorial is one of four memorials erected to commemorate New Zealand soldiers who died on the Gallipoli peninsula and whose graves are not known. This memorial relates to the Battle of Sari Bair and in other operations in this sector. It bears more than 850 names.[ii]
The 1914-15 Star, the Plaque and Scroll were sent to Robert's father in Johnsonville on 17 Jun 1921, and the Victory Medal on 7 September 1922.
For several years on the anniversary of his death Roll of Honour Memorial notices were placed in the Evening Post by his family.
One of Robert’s six brothers, Bruce Walter McFarlane, also served in WW1, from October 1915, surviving several bouts of illness and slight wounding at various time before being discharged on 3rd August 1919. Along the way he married Vera Rosalie James in Newton Abbot Devon on 12th April 1919, and they eventually returned to New Zealand to settle in Johnsonville.
Another brother George McIntyre McFarlane also applied for military service on 13 August 1918, but was demobbed without having to serve overseas due to the end of the war being imminent.
Research conducted by Vivienne McIsaac with supplementary input by Barbara Mulligan and Zane Kidd.
SOURCES
Archives New Zealand: http://archway.archives.govt.nz/
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database: http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/locations
Commonwealth War Graves Commission: http://www.cwgc.org
National Library of New Zealand – Papers Past: http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast
New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs Births Deaths & Marriage Online: https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
[i] http://www.cwgc.org/find-a-cemetery/cemetery/76000/CHUNUK%20BAIR%20%28NEW%20ZEALAND%29%20MEMORIAL
[ii] Ibid.