John Dobson

Sergeant

Conflict:

WW1

Additional Information:

Son of John and Catherine Dobson, of Heriot, Scotland; husband of Margaret Stevenson Dobson, of Baillie St., Thames, New Zealand.

References:

CWGC

Archives New Zealand

NZ WAR GRAVES

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Andrew Gibson

Relationship to casualty: Great nephew

Based on service records and excerpts from Thames Star obituary published April 1918. It is not known exactly when John Watt Dobson emigrated to NZ but he belonged to a well-known shooting family in ...his homeland of Scotland and he and his brothers were known in the Thames (NZ) district to be crack shots. While in Trentham Camp he put up a score which had by 1918 apparently never been attained by any other reinforcement draft. Over the course of his military career he won 2 gold medals for shooting and operated as a sniper. He was an enthusiastic footballer, cricketer and (lawn) bowler – winning medals in football and bowls. He also had musical talent and was a great violinist. He was a younger brother of James Dobson of Aratapu game farm and he had a cousin, Sergeant Russell Trotter, who also served in Europe. He had married Margaret Gibson in Thames 1902 and they had 2 children - a son Athol, and daughter Annie. He was a miner at the time of enlistment, working for the Talisman Mining Co. John embarked with the 12th reinforcements on HMNZT 53 (SS Navua) arriving in Egypt 22nd June 1916, where according to the published obituary he was involved with ‘one or two small fights on the canal banks’ – however official records do not show any engagements that fit that description within that timeframe. A month later he embarked for Sling Camp in England, arriving at camp on 7th August where he relinquished his stripes ‘at own request’ (a year later he had regained the rank of sergeant). After only 1 month at Sling he embarked for France, being in the field by early October 1916. Later that month he spent 1 week at the Army sniping school then re-joined his unit. It is understood he now operated as a sniper however records show no more detail until his being wounded on 7th June 1917, presumably in the assault on Messines. He spent almost 2 months in various hospital units in France before being discharged to Etaples where he spent 4 weeks before re-joining his unit. He went on leave to the UK at the end of September 1917 however a month later is recorded as being admitted to the 2nd Scottish General Hospital (Edinburgh) with rheumatism. Another month later he was transferred to Hornchurch Convalescent Hospital spending 4 days there before being discharged. He re-joined his unit on 9th December 1917. 3 weeks later he attended the 2nd Army sniping school for 3 weeks, where he passed his examinations with the 2nd highest marks and was consequently recommended as a sniper instructor and was waiting his appointment after re-joining his unit mid-January 1918. No further information is shown in his service record other than Killed in Action – 5th April 1918. No details are known about the circumstances of his death. Read More

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Casualty

Service Number:

12158

Name:

John Dobson

Rank:

Sergeant

Date of Birth:

Not known

Next of Kin:

Mrs M. Dobson (wife), River Street, Karangahake, Auckland, New Zealand

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Occupation on Enlistment:

Miner

Armed Force:

Army

Unit:

3 New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade, 2 Battalion

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Killed in action at Colincamps

Date of Death:

05 April 1918

Day of Death:

Friday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW1

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

New Zealand Rifle Brigade

Embarkation Place:

Wellington, New Zealand

Embarkment Date:

06 May 1916

Transport:

HMNZT 52
HMNZT 53

Vessel:

Mokoia or Navua

Destination:

Suez, Egypt

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps

Cemetery Reference:

III. A. 6.

Cemetery Location:

France

John Dobson

Public Contributions:

Submitted by: Andrew Gibson

Relationship to casualty: Great nephew

Personal Tributes:

Casualty

Casualty Details

Embarkation Details

Cemetery