Lt. Geoffrey Studholme, RNZNVR, was born on 3rd September 1908, he was aged 34 years at the time of his death and had been a clerk in civilian life. He was the son of Harold and Charlotte Elizabeth (nee McCulloch) Studholme of Canterbury, New Zealand and was born whilst his parents were farmers in Southland, whilst at ‘Glequioch’ station near Athol. The Studholme family were early ‘gentry’ in the South Island of New Zealand, one of the best known pioneer families of Canterbury and substantial holders of rural land and farms, with a high social profile in the late 1800s and through to the Second World War. His father suffered bankruptcy in 1922 during the collapse of meat and wool prices but the family bounced back. The first record of Geoffrey is as a teenager appearing before the courts in 1929 in Christchurch and being fined two pounds for “…driving a car at a speed dangerous to the public …” (‘The Press’, 22.6.29) - which must have been a trait in the family because his father was fined in 1920 for “… driving at more than 12 mph …” in Christchurch (‘Sun’ 16.1.20). He next appeared in electorate records in 1931 in New Zealand which show him as a salesman of 18 Edinburgh Street, Riccarton, Christchurch living with a Charlotte Elizabeth Studholme [ Researcher note : his mother?]. In 1933 he appears on the list for a NZRNVR dance so perhaps he had already shown an interest in the navy by the time he was in his early twenties – there is a suggestion in his wedding report that he may also have been involved in alpine sports. In 1937 he married Miss Lesley Gwendoline Hurlston Payton, only daughter of Mr. Edward William and Mrs. Mary Gwendolyn Payton of Masterton, NZ, and they took up residence at Lismore Flats, Fendalton, and Christchurch. They later appear frequently in the social pages of local Christchurch papers and in reports of the major social events surrounding horse racing (‘The Press’ issues during 1940). Geoffrey enlisted in the New Zealand Naval forces (with a Yachtmaster’s Certificate # 92 so must have been an experienced recreational sailor) on 29thApril 1941 as a Tempy. Lt and was attached to ‘HMS Sultan’, the shore base in Singapore during January 1942 – he appears to have been on the crew of ‘Soegi’ until joining the ‘SS Tandjong Pinang ‘just before the fall of Singapore. The record left by A/S Richardson explains that the first shell fired by the Japanese warship struck both the small ship’s boat being lowered full of women and children on the starboard side of the ship and also the ship’s hull “… the First Lt. was killed by this round which also set the ship on fire …”.Naval Records of Commissioned. Officers show Temp. Lt Geoffrey Studholme, RNZNVR, was commissioned on 29.7.41 making him technically exactly the same seniority as Lt Gerard from New Zealand who was also on board the ‘SS Tandjong Pinang’ as an officer – so we must assume that they somehow determined Lt Studholme to be “… First Lt….” as described by Richardson. CWGC records and other official records show him as a on board the tug “ HMS Ping Wo” in Singapore in 1941/42, but by the time of the evacuation of Singapore he had become an officer on the ‘SS Tandjong Pinang” and during the attack by was killed on the bridge by the first round from the Japanese submarine (according to crew testimony), which is unusual since no Japanese submarines are known to have been in the area at the time, but this reference to a submarine is confirmed by A/S Archer and interestingly Mrs. Molly Watts- Carter states in her testimony that whilst floating in the sea the day after the sinking “ … During the afternoon we sighted and hailed a submarine which ignored us and quietly disappeared …”.. Geoffrey Studholme is elsewhere recorded as “…killed on board...” on 17.2.42 (NZ Military Historical Society Inc); after the war Mrs. Lesley Studholme had the address of 109 Cole street, Masterton, NZ. She remarried, and her surname became Hume – three decades later Lesley Gwendolyn Hurlston Hume, upon her death on 10.8.75 at the age of 67 years, was buried next to her parents in Archer Street Cemetery, QE Park, Masterton. There appear to have been no children from the marriage. A formal photo of Lieutenant G. Studholme in his full ‘whites’ naval uniform appeared in the ‘Auckland weekly News’ of 13 May 1942 with the caption “…of Masterton, missing on active service…”.
[Michael Pether, New Zealanders who died in Second World War- Singapore, Malaya, Dutch East Indies, and Burma/Thailand]
