Connecting Chesham with New Zealand

Item

Title

Connecting Chesham with New Zealand

Who?

Robert Darvall

Item(s)

949 Pioneer Badge, 2 uniform buttons, 2 NZ regimental shoulder flashes; battalion of Wellington Infantry; good service chevrons.

950 Diaries of Robert Darvall 1916-July 1917 & 1st Jan 1918- 4th November 1918 (wife found him trying to burn his third Ypres diaries and stopped him.) Diaries not public.

951 Medals for victory and good service and British Legion badge.

Story

2nd Battalion of the Wellington Infantry Regiment (17th Rauhine Company) in New Zealand Forces (ANZACS; New Zealand Division; 2nd Brigade) from 1st May 1916 until 28th April 1920. He served all his active fighting time on the Western Front in France and Belgium. He joined the Battalion in France on 7th December 1916. He was a skilled carpenter and he thus served as a battalion pioneer from much of his service.

He was seriously wounded (gunshot wound - thigh) in the final action of the NZ Division liberating Le Quesnoy on 4th November 1918. Invalided back in the UK by 10th November after which he had a long convalescence before returning to New Zealand in 1919.

When?

1916-1918

Where?

France

Contributor

Andrew Rice

Collection Day

The Lee, Bucks 23rd February 2019

This item was submitted on March 24, 2019