Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Rachel McClellan

Relationship to casualty: Great Uncle

Pete's (Lionel Lonie) little brother Kiddie (Adrian) was a very dear great uncle of mine. When I was a very young, naive teenager, Adie gave me a beautiful inlaid chest, which I understand came out w...ith his family from Scotland. He told me nothing about what was in it, and I never asked. The chest contained trinkets from Egypt, old wallets, rings missing their stones, and a few other things. It also contained about 10 letters from Pete's family members (Tom, Ettie, Kiddie, and his mum and dad) to him in France that were returned after Pete's death. Two other letters were to his mother Margaret from a mate in his company, and from the chaplain EJ Tipler. I felt compelled to find Pete when I was living overseas, and have photographs of his grave in the tiny cemetery in northern France, which I will upload once I have scanned them. Attached is the letter from the chaplain and his mate William McKean. Read More

Lionel Peter LONIE [Son of David Lonie & Margaret McBean] Birth: 23 Jun 1895 Henley, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand birth registered at East Taieri. No.27526 Pvte.L.P.Lonie, Electrician, father Davi...d Lonie, Port Chalmers. Otago Infantry Battalion, D Company. His attestation papers show his birth date as 24th June 1896 and that he was an electrician with National Electrical Co. Dunedin. He joined up in March 1916. He was of fair complexion, blue eyed and 5ft. 4.5in. tall. d. 10 Oct 1918 France (K.I.A WW1). Death: 10 Oct 1918 St Aubert, France Burial: PRAYELLE FARM MILITARY CEMETERY, VIESLY, between the villages of Viesly and Bethencourt, in which one British soldier was buried by the enemy in August, 1914. Twenty-three soldiers from the United Kingdom and five from New Zealand were interred here in November 1918, almost all by the 42nd (East Lancashire) Divisional Burial Officer. Author Notes Private 27526, Otago Regiment serving in France. Both the 2nd and 3rd battalions of the Regiment were serving with the 2nd New Zealand Brigade as part of the New Zealand Division. The division was involved in the 'Pursuit to the Selle' as part of the rapid advance across Northern France as the German Army retreated during the autumn of 1918. On 10th October, the leading battalions of both the New Zealand and the 37th Divisions reached the River Selle. Crossings were initially made by improvised footbridges, but as the battalions were too far ahead of the main advance, the majority of troops were withdrawn to the Allied side of the river, leaving only listening posts on the far side. He is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission as being buried in Grave V.E. 21 in St Aubert British Cemetery, about eight miles East of Cambrai, Dept. du Nord France. However this cemetery entry covers a number of different addresses. There is a specific reference to Prayelle Farm Military Cemetry at Viesly. This is a small cemetery with only 28 burials, all except 1 (buried by the Germans in 1914) being made in November 1918. 24 were from the UK, the other 4 were from New Zealand. It is the only cemetery in the group specifying New Zealand burials. Almost all the burials were made by the 42nd (East Lancashire) Burial Officer. Read More