BERTY (BERTIE) FITZCLARENCE ELLIOTT
Regimental No. 47130
25 July 1889 – 29 August 1918
Berty (registered at birth as Bertie) Fitzclarence ELLIOTT was born 25 July 1889 at Kumara, Westland but grew up in Ashburton, the son of English parents Algernon Cox Fitzclarence Elliott and his wife Louisa nee OLIVER who were married in 1887 in New Zealand. Berty was the eldest of seven children, his brothers and sisters were Louisa, Edith, William, Susan, Frances and Edward. The family lived in Ashburton until at least 1911, which is the last time Algernon is recorded as resident at Wills Street, Ashburton. His occupation was grocer. By 1914 Algernon and Louisa had shifted to Brooklyn, Wellington and Algernon had found work as a storeman.
Berty however had taken up employment in Timaru, working as a motor mechanic for Harold Rollinson, a car dealer, in Cannon Street, Timaru. While in Timaru Berty courted Ada Alma KING whom he married in 1915 in Wellington. They were living in Timaru when their daughter Zona Alma was born in 1916.
On the 29th January 1917 Berty enlisted with the New Zealand Army in Timaru and on his Attestation Papers he was posted to New Zealand Engineers, No 2 Field Coy. His military personnel file records that he was 28 years and 6 months old, and the details of his medical examination say he was 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 126 lbs, with a chest measurement of 32 inches expanding to 34 and half inches, a sallow complexion, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. He had good eyesight and hearing, well-formed limbs and normal heart and lungs. He also was free of hernia, varicose veins, heamorrhoids, had no contagious skin conditions, and although not vaccinated he did not suffer from any fits or other “slight defects”. He was cleared medically fit for service. His religious beliefs were that of the Church of England, and he nominated his wife Alma as his next of kin. His address was 18 Nile Street, Timaru.
Berty started his training on the 13th February 1917 with G Coy. 25th Reinforcements as a private, but he was transferred to the New Zealand Engineers on 22 Mar 1917 as a sapper. On the 6th June 1917 he was again transferred to New Zealand Engineers, 27th Reinforcements, before going to Christchurch on 17th August 1917 to join the New Zealand Reserve Depot.
He was sent overseas 3 weeks later, leaving New Zealand with the Engineers on 28 Dec 1917 on board the HMNZT # 86 “Maunganui” bound for Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, arriving there on 16 August 1917. He was then marched into camp at Boscombe, Bournemouth. After more training Berty was ready to proceed on the 30th December 1917 to Etaples, France. On the 16 January 1918 he was marched out to 22 Corps, before being sent on to No 2 Field Coy, NZE in the field on the 19th January 1918. In March the Germans began a major advance and the NZ Division, including the Engineers, were rushed south to assist. For three months the Engineers were kept very busy with all the tasks needed to accommodate and protect men, develop trench and communication systems, and do all the building and engineering work required of an army in the field.
“As the advance pressed on, the newly-won territory came under the hands of the sappers, who toiled unremittingly to provide the necessary new trenches, and to open up adequate communications. Great assistance in the field, and much good fellowship on less stern occasions, was enjoyed from a party of American soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 305th Regiment U.S.A. Engineers, who were attached to the New Zealand Field Companies at this time to assimilate knowledge and experience.”
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d13.html#n226
By August the Engineers were heavily involved in the final advance, pushing the Germans further and further east, advancing progressively from Hebuterne on 5 August to Puisieux and then Achiet Le Petit by the 22nd. The main goal was the town of Bapaume,
During these activities the Victoria Cross was won by one of the NZ Engineers, Sergeant Samuel FORSYTH (whose mother, Grace Forsyth, erected a headstone in Karori Cemetery in memory of him).
On the 29th August Bapaume was under attack by the New Zealanders, including Berty. Sadly, he was one of those who didn’t make it. At first he was reported missing, but later that same day he was found and admitted to No. 13 Field Ambulance where he died of his wounds the same day.
Berty was hastily buried somewhere on the road to Bihucourt, and this was recorded on his military personnel file. However, after the Armistice he was amongst 645 soldiers who were exhumed and brought in from the battlefields around Achiet to be reburied at Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension. This cemetery is an extension to the town cemetery for the town of Achiet-Le-Grand, which is just over 1 kilometre west of the village of Bihucourt. The railway station at Achiet was an important railhead for the allies. Berty was the only NZ Engineers sapper to die on the 29th and be buried (eventually) at Achiet Le Grand cemetery. However, two men from the NZ Field Artillery also died on the 29th and were also buried at Achiet Le Grand, one of them being James Cooper MILL, another of the men named on the Brooklyn memorial.
For his services to King and Country Berty was awarded the British War Medal (1914-1920), the Victory Medal and the Plaque and Scroll. These were sent to his wife Alma, who by 1922 was living at 10 Garfield Street, Brooklyn, Wellington. Berty's name is recorded on the Brooklyn War Memorial in Wellington.
A Memorial notice was placed by Berty's parents in the Evening Post on the 29th August 1919 on the anniversary of his death.
Ada Elliott married again, in 1928, to Alexander MOSLEY at Timaru.
Berty's mother Louisa died 5th April 1924 and his father Algernon died 16 October 1935, and both are buried in the Karori Cemetery, Wellington.
Members of Berty's family have undertaken their own research about his experience and welcome contact on [email protected]
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
NZ Govt Dept.- Births, Death, Marriages records
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives – NZ Army Personnel File
NZSG Index Vol 2.
1911, 1914 and 1919 Electoral Rolls
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of New Zealand - Papers Past
Karori Cemetery, Wellington - online database.
Regimental No. 47130
25 July 1889 – 29 August 1918
Berty (registered at birth as Bertie) Fitzclarence ELLIOTT was born 25 July 1889 at Kumara, Westland but grew up in Ashburton, the son of English parents Algernon Cox Fitzclarence Elliott and his wife Louisa nee OLIVER who were married in 1887 in New Zealand. Berty was the eldest of seven children, his brothers and sisters were Louisa, Edith, William, Susan, Frances and Edward. The family lived in Ashburton until at least 1911, which is the last time Algernon is recorded as resident at Wills Street, Ashburton. His occupation was grocer. By 1914 Algernon and Louisa had shifted to Brooklyn, Wellington and Algernon had found work as a storeman.
Berty however had taken up employment in Timaru, working as a motor mechanic for Harold Rollinson, a car dealer, in Cannon Street, Timaru. While in Timaru Berty courted Ada Alma KING whom he married in 1915 in Wellington. They were living in Timaru when their daughter Zona Alma was born in 1916.
On the 29th January 1917 Berty enlisted with the New Zealand Army in Timaru and on his Attestation Papers he was posted to New Zealand Engineers, No 2 Field Coy. His military personnel file records that he was 28 years and 6 months old, and the details of his medical examination say he was 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighed 126 lbs, with a chest measurement of 32 inches expanding to 34 and half inches, a sallow complexion, brown eyes, and dark brown hair. He had good eyesight and hearing, well-formed limbs and normal heart and lungs. He also was free of hernia, varicose veins, heamorrhoids, had no contagious skin conditions, and although not vaccinated he did not suffer from any fits or other “slight defects”. He was cleared medically fit for service. His religious beliefs were that of the Church of England, and he nominated his wife Alma as his next of kin. His address was 18 Nile Street, Timaru.
Berty started his training on the 13th February 1917 with G Coy. 25th Reinforcements as a private, but he was transferred to the New Zealand Engineers on 22 Mar 1917 as a sapper. On the 6th June 1917 he was again transferred to New Zealand Engineers, 27th Reinforcements, before going to Christchurch on 17th August 1917 to join the New Zealand Reserve Depot.
He was sent overseas 3 weeks later, leaving New Zealand with the Engineers on 28 Dec 1917 on board the HMNZT # 86 “Maunganui” bound for Devonport, Plymouth, Devon, arriving there on 16 August 1917. He was then marched into camp at Boscombe, Bournemouth. After more training Berty was ready to proceed on the 30th December 1917 to Etaples, France. On the 16 January 1918 he was marched out to 22 Corps, before being sent on to No 2 Field Coy, NZE in the field on the 19th January 1918. In March the Germans began a major advance and the NZ Division, including the Engineers, were rushed south to assist. For three months the Engineers were kept very busy with all the tasks needed to accommodate and protect men, develop trench and communication systems, and do all the building and engineering work required of an army in the field.
“As the advance pressed on, the newly-won territory came under the hands of the sappers, who toiled unremittingly to provide the necessary new trenches, and to open up adequate communications. Great assistance in the field, and much good fellowship on less stern occasions, was enjoyed from a party of American soldiers of the 2nd Battalion 305th Regiment U.S.A. Engineers, who were attached to the New Zealand Field Companies at this time to assimilate knowledge and experience.”
http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH1-Engi-t1-body-d13.html#n226
By August the Engineers were heavily involved in the final advance, pushing the Germans further and further east, advancing progressively from Hebuterne on 5 August to Puisieux and then Achiet Le Petit by the 22nd. The main goal was the town of Bapaume,
During these activities the Victoria Cross was won by one of the NZ Engineers, Sergeant Samuel FORSYTH (whose mother, Grace Forsyth, erected a headstone in Karori Cemetery in memory of him).
On the 29th August Bapaume was under attack by the New Zealanders, including Berty. Sadly, he was one of those who didn’t make it. At first he was reported missing, but later that same day he was found and admitted to No. 13 Field Ambulance where he died of his wounds the same day.
Berty was hastily buried somewhere on the road to Bihucourt, and this was recorded on his military personnel file. However, after the Armistice he was amongst 645 soldiers who were exhumed and brought in from the battlefields around Achiet to be reburied at Achiet-le-Grand Communal Cemetery Extension. This cemetery is an extension to the town cemetery for the town of Achiet-Le-Grand, which is just over 1 kilometre west of the village of Bihucourt. The railway station at Achiet was an important railhead for the allies. Berty was the only NZ Engineers sapper to die on the 29th and be buried (eventually) at Achiet Le Grand cemetery. However, two men from the NZ Field Artillery also died on the 29th and were also buried at Achiet Le Grand, one of them being James Cooper MILL, another of the men named on the Brooklyn memorial.
For his services to King and Country Berty was awarded the British War Medal (1914-1920), the Victory Medal and the Plaque and Scroll. These were sent to his wife Alma, who by 1922 was living at 10 Garfield Street, Brooklyn, Wellington. Berty's name is recorded on the Brooklyn War Memorial in Wellington.
A Memorial notice was placed by Berty's parents in the Evening Post on the 29th August 1919 on the anniversary of his death.
Ada Elliott married again, in 1928, to Alexander MOSLEY at Timaru.
Berty's mother Louisa died 5th April 1924 and his father Algernon died 16 October 1935, and both are buried in the Karori Cemetery, Wellington.
Members of Berty's family have undertaken their own research about his experience and welcome contact on [email protected]
Researched and written by Vivienne McIsaac
Sources:
NZ Govt Dept.- Births, Death, Marriages records
National Library of New Zealand – Archway Archives – NZ Army Personnel File
NZSG Index Vol 2.
1911, 1914 and 1919 Electoral Rolls
Auckland Museum Cenotaph Database
Commonwealth War Graves Commission
National Library of New Zealand - Papers Past
Karori Cemetery, Wellington - online database.