Pte
John Wardlaw Stevens
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 27/05/1891 |
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Place of birth: Wallacetown, Southland, New Zealand |
General information
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Profession: Farmer |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Private |
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Service number: 53276 |
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Enlistment date: 23/03/1917 |
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Enlistment place: Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand |
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Units: — Otago Regiment, 2nd Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 24/12/1917 |
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Place of death: Reutel, Beselare, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 26 |
Cemetery
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Tyne Cot Cemetery Plot: XLIV Row: F Grave: 26 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal |
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Victory Medal Medal |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Private John Wardlaw Stevens served in the Otago Regiment 2nd Battalion, part of the 2nd New Zealand Brigade, of the New Zealand Division.
The Otago Regiment 2nd Battalion moved back into the frontline, East of Polygon Wood, on the 22nd of December 1917. The 2nd Battalion had to defend and fortify the line near the hamlet of Reutel. On the 24th of December 1917 the German artillery heavily shelled the line of the New Zealanders. Including the positions occupied by the 2nd Otago, causing about twenty-six casualties. Six men of the 2nd Otago were killed instantly, due to the shelling, while around twenty men were wounded.
Private John Wardlaw Stevens was one of the six men who were killed, due to the German shelling on the 2nd Otago positions near Reutel. His comrades buried him close to the line, roughly shown on the map, (at coordinate 28.J.11.c.8.6.). Later on he was reburied on Tyne Cot Cemetery.
The Otago Regiment 2nd Battalion moved back into the frontline, East of Polygon Wood, on the 22nd of December 1917. The 2nd Battalion had to defend and fortify the line near the hamlet of Reutel. On the 24th of December 1917 the German artillery heavily shelled the line of the New Zealanders. Including the positions occupied by the 2nd Otago, causing about twenty-six casualties. Six men of the 2nd Otago were killed instantly, due to the shelling, while around twenty men were wounded.
Private John Wardlaw Stevens was one of the six men who were killed, due to the German shelling on the 2nd Otago positions near Reutel. His comrades buried him close to the line, roughly shown on the map, (at coordinate 28.J.11.c.8.6.). Later on he was reburied on Tyne Cot Cemetery.
More information 5
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/464773 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=f93c9265-dc4b-4555-bf9d-8f54d21ef41c |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7183566 |
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Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/c14987 |
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The NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=243759 |