Cpl
Thomas Nigel McFarland
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 06/08/1890 |
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Place of birth: Ellerslie, Auckland, New Zealand |
General information
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Profession: Bank clerk |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Corporal |
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Service number: 8/252 |
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Enlistment date: 14/08/1914 |
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Enlistment place: Milton, Otago, New Zealand |
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Units: — New Zealand Machine Gun Corps, 1st Coy. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 12/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Bellevue 's, Graventafel, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 27 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot, New Zealand Apse Panel: 9 |
Distinctions and medals 3
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1914-15 Star Medal |
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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
Corporal Thomas McFarland served first with the Otago Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli where he was wounded in May 1915. He transferred to the 1st Machine Gun Company of 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade on 1 March 1916.
While on the Western Front he received a slight wound to his left leg on 25 June 1917.
In October 1917 the New Zealand Machine Gun companies were supporting the NZ Division’s infantry in the Battle of Broodseinde and First Passchendaele. On 11 October the 1st Machine Gun Company, with 12 machine guns, moved towards the front line near Gravenstafel, designated “C” Group, to provide a machine gun barrage for the attack on 12 October against Passchendaele.
1st Machine Gun Company suffered 65 casualties in this battle, including Thomas McFarland. The Company would have been under shell and machine gun fire, in very bad ground conditions, making recovery and identification of the dead difficult.
Corporal Thomas McFarland was killed in action on 12 October 1917. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the New Zealand Apse at Tyne Cot Memorial.
While on the Western Front he received a slight wound to his left leg on 25 June 1917.
In October 1917 the New Zealand Machine Gun companies were supporting the NZ Division’s infantry in the Battle of Broodseinde and First Passchendaele. On 11 October the 1st Machine Gun Company, with 12 machine guns, moved towards the front line near Gravenstafel, designated “C” Group, to provide a machine gun barrage for the attack on 12 October against Passchendaele.
1st Machine Gun Company suffered 65 casualties in this battle, including Thomas McFarland. The Company would have been under shell and machine gun fire, in very bad ground conditions, making recovery and identification of the dead difficult.
Corporal Thomas McFarland was killed in action on 12 October 1917. His remains were not recovered and he is remembered on the New Zealand Apse at Tyne Cot Memorial.
Connection to other soldiers 1
Sources 1
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Luxford J.H., With the Machine Gunners in France and Palestine, (Auckland, Whitcombe & Tombs Ltd, 1923). pg. 92-96. Sources used |
More information 5
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/847846 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=23e19b6c-37bb-4003-a5cb-f7415e62e3ff |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7178728 |
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Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/c9386 |
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The NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=166145 |