Geburtsdatum: 13/06/1885

Geburtsort: Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand

Beruf: Landwirt / Bauman / Ökonom

Land: New Zealand

Truppe: New Zealand Expeditionary Force

Rang: Lance Corporal

Dienstnummer: 8/2693

Einberufung datum: 17/04/1915

Einberufung ort: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand

Einheiten:  —  Otago Regiment, 1st Bn.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 12/10/1917

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 32

1914-15 Star Medaille

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Lance Corporal Andrew Kerr Paisley served in the 10th Company, 1st Battalion of the Otago Regiment, of the New Zealand 1st Brigade, part of the New Zealand Division. His battalion took part in the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October 1917.

The New Zealand Division attacked with two brigades, the 3rd New Zealand Rifle Brigade on the left and the 2nd New Zealand Brigade on the right. The 1st Otago was allotted to the 2nd New Zealand Brigade on the right of the divisional front and was to attack with the 2nd Bn. Otago Regiment, the 1st Bn. Otago Regiment and the 1st Bn. Canterbury Regiment. The 2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment was in reserve. Three objectives were allotted in this order, the first being the Red Line (approx. Friesland Farm – Source Wood), the second being the Blue Line (approx. Graf Farm – Goudberg Copse) and the final being the Green Line (approx. Exert Copse - Vocation Farm).

At 5.25 a.m. the attack began with the 2nd Otago’s positioned at the front and thus leading the assault. The 1st Otago was to take the second objective, with the 10th (Otago) Company on the left flank of the Battalion. Tragedy stuck, however, when the friendly barrage that had to support the advance of the 2nd Otago’s came down short. The assembly line of the 1st Battalion Otago Regiment was hit, killing a number of men from the 10th Company.

On their right was the Ravebeek, that could be used as a guideline to reach Passchendaele. But shortly after, they got into difficulties because of uncut wire entanglements that lay in front of the jumping off line. The only gap in the wire was at a single point on the sunken Graventafel Road, which proved a death trap German machine guns concentrated fire on this position. The area of the Bellevue Spur was overloaded with German defences and pillboxes. The other battalions faced the similar problems and failed to reach the Red Line. At 3:30 p.m. orders were received that the 2nd Brigade was to consolidate their current positions and had to organize a defensive position in depth. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Otago Regiment held the front line, with the 1st holding the position from the Graventafel road to the Ravebeek on the right.

The 12th of October 1917 will be remembered as one of the most unsuccessful days in the history of the New Zealand Army. Lance Corporal Andrew Kerr Paisley was reported killed on that day. His grave was identified after the war and located at V.28.c.4.1.

"Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account", McCarthy C., London, Uniform, 2018, pg. 128-132. Verwendete Quellen

"The Official History of the Otago Regiment N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918", Byrne A.E., Dunedin, Wilkie & Co Ltd., pg. 207 - 228. Verwendete Quellen

Auckland Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C11907?n=8%2F2693&w=World%20War%20I%2C%201914-1918&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Verwendete Quellen

CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/491947/paisley,-andrew-keir/ Verwendete Quellen

The Long, Long Trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Verwendete Quellen

Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/491947