Geburtsdatum: 05/01/1896

Geburtsort: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand

Beruf: Eisengießer

Land: New Zealand

Truppe: New Zealand Expeditionary Force

Rang: Private

Dienstnummer: 46810

Einberufung datum: 05/01/1917

Einberufung ort: Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand

Einheiten:  —  Canterbury Regiment, 2nd Bn.  (Letzte bekannte Einheit)

Sterbedatum: 13/12/1917

Sterbeort: Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, Belgien

Todesursache: Im Kampf gefallen

Alter: 21

British War Medal Medaille

Victory Medal Medaille

Private Robert Vesey served in the 2nd Canterbury Regiment, of the 2nd New Zealand Brigade. Robert was born in Christchurch in 1896. He was imprisoned on the 6th of August 1914. When enlisting in January 1917 he gives His Majesty’s Prison in Invercargill as his last address. Invercargill Prison was established in 1910 and served as a Borstal, a type of youth detention centre. By the time he enlisted, both his parents had already past. Robert joined his unit in the field in August that same year.

After the Third Battle of Ypres, the New Zealand Division was situated in the Polygon Wood area. They spent quite some time on wiring, repairing crumbling trenches and improving defences. The landscape was covered with waterlogged shell holes. The right of the New Zealand position was enfiladed from Polderhoek and a decision was made to capture the spur on which the ruins of Polderhoek Chateau and German pillboxes were situated.

After the unsuccessful attack on Polderhoek on 3 December, the various battalions took turns in the front lines and in reserve. At the time of Robert’s death, the 2nd Canterbury Regiment was in support, in bivouacs in Polygon Wood. According to the regimental history of the Otago Regiment, its positions were heavily shelled on December 12th and 13th.

Robert Vesey, still only 21, was killed on the 13th of December 1917. According to a statement in his service record, Robert was buried by Reverend Lush near the hamlet of Polderhoek (J.16.c.70.30.). In 1919 Vesey’s remains are reinterred in Polygon Wood Cemetery, where he still rests today.

"The history of the Canterbury Regiment N.Z.E.F. : 1914-1919", Ferguson D., Whitcombe and Tombs, 1921, page 218 - 223 Verwendete Quellen

Auckland Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C16139?n=46810&ordinal=2&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch Verwendete Quellen

Byrne, A.E., Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918, Dunedin, Wilkie & Co, Ltd, p. 238-241. Verwendete Quellen

CWGC https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/480076/vesey,-robert/ Verwendete Quellen

NZEF-Project https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=262036 Verwendete Quellen

Service Record https://www.archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullItem.do?code=22020664 Verwendete Quellen

The long long trail http://www.longlongtrail.co.uk/army/ Verwendete Quellen