Public Contributions:

I would like to offer a photo of Thomas Wade 41054 NZEF as handed down through our family. Unfortunately I only have a photocopy of the original but it may serve until someone might have a better ima...ge perhaps. We also have photos of his immediate family. Tom was born 23 October 1889, the youngest of 7 children - 4 boys and 3 girls including an older brother Robert Hunter Wade Army Number 45263 NZEF who died of wounds in October 1918 in France. This was in the same theatre as Tom's action, although in different regiments, during the spring offensive and last days of the war. Both Thomas Wade and Robert Hunter Wade's military records can be found at digitalnz.org. There is also a lengthy account written by the late Hunter Wade (Robert's son) with very detailed accounts of the NZEF involvement in the last days of the war leading to their tragic loss. I am intrigued to find out why it appears that Thomas was promoted to Temp Lance Corporal while at Sling Camp 21-5-1917 only to be demoted again to private on 21-6-1917. His military records simply say "Relinquishes appointment of temp Lance Corporal" There is an account that he had contracted Malaria at some stage and had been given 7 months sickness leave. I expect this may be an error as while his military records back up the 7 month period being in various hospitals, but state that it was for Influenza. He arrived in Devonport 21 May 1917 having embarked at Wellington 14 April 1917. He was at Sling in May and marched into Etaples June 1917 and posted to the battalion 4 Company in July. Next we find him sick in hospital with Influenza in September 1917 before being marched into Etaples France again in March 1918 (7 month "recovery"). He was reported missing in the field 16 April 1918. Was located at Sultan Camp barracks in the Province of Hanover Germany 18-7-18 (POW). Died of Influenza (obviously recurrent infection) in Munich 22-11-1918 11 days after armistice. So sad. One wonders what the conditions were like in the POW camps. While it is said that the Germans will have treated prisoners well, so many died of disease. Thomas was a keen farmer and there was no one to take over the family farm after the war. The farm was called Springbank at Blackstone Hill near Oturehua in Central Otago. [Record since amended - NZWGT] Read More

Submitted by: Michaela Anchan

Relationship to casualty: No Relation (NZ resident in Hamburg)

Above references 'Sultan Camp' as a POW camp in Hanover but was most likely in Soltau (Hanover) - the site of the largest POW camp in WW1.