2nd Lt
George Ackhurst
Information about birth
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Date of birth: 02/06/1878 |
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Place of birth: Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
General information
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Profession: Engineer |
Army information
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Country: New Zealand |
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Force: New Zealand Expeditionary Force |
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Rank: Second Lieutenant |
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Service number: 18207 |
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Enlistment date: 12/10/1915 |
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Enlistment place: Trentham, Wellington, New Zealand |
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Units: — Wellington Regiment, 1st Bn. (Last known unit) |
Information about death
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Date of death: 04/10/1917 |
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Place of death: Berlin Wood, Passchendaele, Belgium |
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Cause of death: Killed in action (K.I.A.) |
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Age: 39 |
Memorial
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Tyne Cot Memorial Panel: New Zealand Apse panel 6 |
Distinctions and medals 2
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British War Medal Medal — 20/09/1921 |
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Victory Medal Medal — 28/07/1922 |
Points of interest 3
| #1 | Place of birth | ||
| #2 | Enlistment place | ||
| #3 | Place of death (approximate) |
My story
Second Lieutenant Ackhurst George ( 1st Bn. Wellington Regiment, 1st NewZealand Brigade, 1st NewZealand Division ) was killed in action during the Battle of Broodseinde, on the 4th of October 1917.
That day, the NewZealand Division had two objectives ; the first being the so-called Red Line ( which roughly went from Bordeaux Farm to Albatros Farm ) and the second being the Blue Line.
At 5.25 a.m. they attacked with the 1st and 4th NewZealand Brigade, respectively on the left and the right, to obtain the first objective. The 1st Brigade consisted of the 1st Bn. Auckland Regiment and the 1st Bn. Wellington Regiment.
While advancing to the Red Line, Ackhurst and his battalion came under heavy enemy fire from Boetleer pillboxes. On reaching the crest they came under fire from two dugouts in front of Korek. These pillboxes were cleared by troops from the Wellingtons and the 3rd Otago (4NZ Brigade). It is presumed that George Ackhurst was killed during this attack northwest of ‘s Graventafel.
That day, the NewZealand Division had two objectives ; the first being the so-called Red Line ( which roughly went from Bordeaux Farm to Albatros Farm ) and the second being the Blue Line.
At 5.25 a.m. they attacked with the 1st and 4th NewZealand Brigade, respectively on the left and the right, to obtain the first objective. The 1st Brigade consisted of the 1st Bn. Auckland Regiment and the 1st Bn. Wellington Regiment.
While advancing to the Red Line, Ackhurst and his battalion came under heavy enemy fire from Boetleer pillboxes. On reaching the crest they came under fire from two dugouts in front of Korek. These pillboxes were cleared by troops from the Wellingtons and the 3rd Otago (4NZ Brigade). It is presumed that George Ackhurst was killed during this attack northwest of ‘s Graventafel.
Sources 4
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Cunningham W.H., Treadwell C.A.L., Hanna J.S. The Wellington Regiment NZEF 1914-1919, (Uckfield, The Naval & Military Press, 2003, pg. 213-223) Sources used |
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Gray J.H., From the Uttermost Ends of the Earth. The New Zealand Division on the Western Front 1916-1918, (Christchurch, Willson Scott Publishing, 2010, pg. 129 - 135). Sources used |
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McCarthy C., The Third Ypres Passchendaele. The Day-by-Day Account, (London, Unicorn Publishing Group, 2018, pg. 99 & 101). Sources used |
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Stewart H., The New Zealand Division 1916 - 1919, (London, Intype London Ltd, 1920), pg. 248 - 297). Sources used |
More information 4
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Commonwealth War Graves Commission Database https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/847201 |
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Namenlijst (In Flanders Fields Museum) https://namenlijst.org/publicsearch/#/person/_id=a9d4ba59-03c4-4880-b6d4-c5edd36d0a84 |
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Lives of the First World War (Imperial War Museum) https://livesofthefirstworldwar.iwm.org.uk/lifestory/7169964 |
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Online Cenotaph (Auckland Museum) https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C19 |