JOHN DONALD (DON) RUTHERFORD
REGIMENTAL NO. 25640
2 November 1896 - 2 December 1918
John Donald (Don) RUTHERFORD was born in Brightwater, Nelson on 2 November 1896, twin son of William Leslie and Charlotte Ann (nee Masters) who had married in 1891. Don’s father was a flour miller in Nelson. Don had two older brothers, Eric William born 1892 and Leo Reginald born 1893, as well as his twin brother Charles Douglas (known as Douglas), all of whom joined the army at different times and fought in WW1. The family was completed by a much younger sister, Phyllis Ward, born in 1908.
The family moved around quite a lot and Don’s older brothers attended River Terrace and Aniseed Valley Schools in Brightwater, before moving to Invercargill where all 4 brothers attended Central Park School. In 1909 the family moved from Invercargill to Wellington where father William was employed as a hemp grader. Hemp graders worked in rope works and it is reasonable to assume therefore that Mr Rutherford had found work at a local facility, such as Staffans Rope Works which were in Hill Street, Wellington, less than half a kilometre from Aorangi Terrace where the family first lived. Aorangi Terrace runs between Grant Road and Tinakori Road. Don and Douglas attended Thorndon School. In 1910 the family moved to Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, and the boys attended Brooklyn School. On leaving Brooklyn School in December 1911, Don attended the Technical College. Douglas had left school in July to start work.
When Don left school, the family moved once more, to Oak Road, Hastings, where Don’s father was employed as a sawmiller. Don became a joiner and was working for J. Garnett of Market Street, Hastings, when he enlisted in Hastings on 17 May 1916 before joining the New Zealand Rifle Brigade at Trentham on 30 May 1916. His twin brother had enlisted a few months earlier on 11 January 1916, immediately prior to the passage of the Military Service Act which introduced conscription for men aged between 20 and 46 years of age. Both claimed to be older than they were by about 6 months in order to meet the minimum age requirement.
On his Attestation papers Don is described as being in good health, 5’5” tall, weighing 130 pounds with dark complexion and hair and blue eyes. He had lost his right forefinger in an accident when he was 4 years old. His religion was Methodist. He was given regimental number 25640.
After training at Trentham Don left New Zealand on 23 September 1916 on Pakeha disembarking at Devonport, England on 18 November 1916. Only 4 days into the voyage, on 27 September, Don was disciplined for disobeying an order and given 2 hours ship’s punishment. From Devonport he went to NZEF Base Camp at Sling on the Salisbury Plains where he qualified as a marksman.
Don left for Etaples, France on 7 January 1917 and was attached to the 5th Reserve Battalion, 3rd NZMB. In March 1917 he joined the 2nd Battalion 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade until he was detached on 25 May 1917 to join Divisional HQ. He was there only 8 days before he rejoined his unit, and then was detached again to the Brigade Dump.[1] He was then sent off to the Brigade Carrying Party (wounded) and once again rejoined his unit on 7 June 1917. He was with his unit for 9 days when he was gassed at Messines and sent to No.4 General Hospital in Boulogne. During the time he was in the hospital he was twice punished for misconduct, the first time on 12 July when he was absent from roll call at 5.45 a.m. and received 4 days “confined to barracks” and just 4 days later again absent from 5.30 roll call and received 7 days of the same punishment. He was deemed fit enough to return to Etaples on 18 August 1917 but put in D.E. Company as he had a heart complaint.
Don continued to suffer from the effects of the gassing and in January 1918 he was sent to Torquay, England for a medical examination. At this stage Don was complaining of breathlessness with occasional cardiac pains and of being unable to do heavy work. Captain Kenneth E. Tapper, the Medical Officer found that although there were slapping sounds there was no obvious dilation of the heart. He recommended that Don be returned to New Zealand as unfit for active service for 12 months.
Don was placed on C Roll as unfit and left Plymouth on the Remuera on 14 March 1918. On arrival in New Zealand in May he returned to Hastings and was there when his mother died on 12 June. Don went before a Medical Board in Napier on 9 July 1918 where he was deemed to be unfit for service the next 11 months. He was admitted to Napier Hospital on 10 September 1918 suffering palpitations and breathlessness on exertion as well as pain over the cardiac region. However, the examining doctor could find no oedema, with the heart sounds normal and no dilation.
When the War ended on 11 November 1918, Don was still an undischarged soldier and still suffering from heart trouble. He was admitted to hospital in Hastings in November 1918 with influenza and was to be sent to a convalescent home on 2 December 1918 when he had a heart seizure and died suddenly at the age of 22 years. He was buried in Hastings Cemetery on 3 December 1918.
Don’s brothers all enlisted and all survived their war service overseas. Charles is named on Brooklyn Memorial as one of those who served and survived. Eric enlisted on 14 June 1915 and Leo in October 1917. Sadly Leo died in August 1919, only 4 months after his marriage to Myrtle Boutell in Wellington. Neither Eric nor Leo are named on the Brooklyn Memorial. Their mother Annie, father William who died in 1946, as well as all four sons are remembered on a memorial in Hastings Cemetery.
Research conducted by Ann Walker 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
[1] Supply depot. A mixture of buildings and outdoor fenced off protected area behind the lines for all sorts of war material e.g. arms, ammunition, building supplies, etc. It was a logistical nightmare getting material into and out of it for the troops. A Brigade was about 3,000 troops so the dump would have been large and front line troops would have depended on its smooth and efficient running to ensure that they were always well equipped.
REGIMENTAL NO. 25640
2 November 1896 - 2 December 1918
John Donald (Don) RUTHERFORD was born in Brightwater, Nelson on 2 November 1896, twin son of William Leslie and Charlotte Ann (nee Masters) who had married in 1891. Don’s father was a flour miller in Nelson. Don had two older brothers, Eric William born 1892 and Leo Reginald born 1893, as well as his twin brother Charles Douglas (known as Douglas), all of whom joined the army at different times and fought in WW1. The family was completed by a much younger sister, Phyllis Ward, born in 1908.
The family moved around quite a lot and Don’s older brothers attended River Terrace and Aniseed Valley Schools in Brightwater, before moving to Invercargill where all 4 brothers attended Central Park School. In 1909 the family moved from Invercargill to Wellington where father William was employed as a hemp grader. Hemp graders worked in rope works and it is reasonable to assume therefore that Mr Rutherford had found work at a local facility, such as Staffans Rope Works which were in Hill Street, Wellington, less than half a kilometre from Aorangi Terrace where the family first lived. Aorangi Terrace runs between Grant Road and Tinakori Road. Don and Douglas attended Thorndon School. In 1910 the family moved to Washington Avenue, Brooklyn, and the boys attended Brooklyn School. On leaving Brooklyn School in December 1911, Don attended the Technical College. Douglas had left school in July to start work.
When Don left school, the family moved once more, to Oak Road, Hastings, where Don’s father was employed as a sawmiller. Don became a joiner and was working for J. Garnett of Market Street, Hastings, when he enlisted in Hastings on 17 May 1916 before joining the New Zealand Rifle Brigade at Trentham on 30 May 1916. His twin brother had enlisted a few months earlier on 11 January 1916, immediately prior to the passage of the Military Service Act which introduced conscription for men aged between 20 and 46 years of age. Both claimed to be older than they were by about 6 months in order to meet the minimum age requirement.
On his Attestation papers Don is described as being in good health, 5’5” tall, weighing 130 pounds with dark complexion and hair and blue eyes. He had lost his right forefinger in an accident when he was 4 years old. His religion was Methodist. He was given regimental number 25640.
After training at Trentham Don left New Zealand on 23 September 1916 on Pakeha disembarking at Devonport, England on 18 November 1916. Only 4 days into the voyage, on 27 September, Don was disciplined for disobeying an order and given 2 hours ship’s punishment. From Devonport he went to NZEF Base Camp at Sling on the Salisbury Plains where he qualified as a marksman.
Don left for Etaples, France on 7 January 1917 and was attached to the 5th Reserve Battalion, 3rd NZMB. In March 1917 he joined the 2nd Battalion 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade until he was detached on 25 May 1917 to join Divisional HQ. He was there only 8 days before he rejoined his unit, and then was detached again to the Brigade Dump.[1] He was then sent off to the Brigade Carrying Party (wounded) and once again rejoined his unit on 7 June 1917. He was with his unit for 9 days when he was gassed at Messines and sent to No.4 General Hospital in Boulogne. During the time he was in the hospital he was twice punished for misconduct, the first time on 12 July when he was absent from roll call at 5.45 a.m. and received 4 days “confined to barracks” and just 4 days later again absent from 5.30 roll call and received 7 days of the same punishment. He was deemed fit enough to return to Etaples on 18 August 1917 but put in D.E. Company as he had a heart complaint.
Don continued to suffer from the effects of the gassing and in January 1918 he was sent to Torquay, England for a medical examination. At this stage Don was complaining of breathlessness with occasional cardiac pains and of being unable to do heavy work. Captain Kenneth E. Tapper, the Medical Officer found that although there were slapping sounds there was no obvious dilation of the heart. He recommended that Don be returned to New Zealand as unfit for active service for 12 months.
Don was placed on C Roll as unfit and left Plymouth on the Remuera on 14 March 1918. On arrival in New Zealand in May he returned to Hastings and was there when his mother died on 12 June. Don went before a Medical Board in Napier on 9 July 1918 where he was deemed to be unfit for service the next 11 months. He was admitted to Napier Hospital on 10 September 1918 suffering palpitations and breathlessness on exertion as well as pain over the cardiac region. However, the examining doctor could find no oedema, with the heart sounds normal and no dilation.
When the War ended on 11 November 1918, Don was still an undischarged soldier and still suffering from heart trouble. He was admitted to hospital in Hastings in November 1918 with influenza and was to be sent to a convalescent home on 2 December 1918 when he had a heart seizure and died suddenly at the age of 22 years. He was buried in Hastings Cemetery on 3 December 1918.
Don’s brothers all enlisted and all survived their war service overseas. Charles is named on Brooklyn Memorial as one of those who served and survived. Eric enlisted on 14 June 1915 and Leo in October 1917. Sadly Leo died in August 1919, only 4 months after his marriage to Myrtle Boutell in Wellington. Neither Eric nor Leo are named on the Brooklyn Memorial. Their mother Annie, father William who died in 1946, as well as all four sons are remembered on a memorial in Hastings Cemetery.
Research conducted by Ann Walker 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
[1] Supply depot. A mixture of buildings and outdoor fenced off protected area behind the lines for all sorts of war material e.g. arms, ammunition, building supplies, etc. It was a logistical nightmare getting material into and out of it for the troops. A Brigade was about 3,000 troops so the dump would have been large and front line troops would have depended on its smooth and efficient running to ensure that they were always well equipped.