Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Tyne Cot Memorial | N.Z. Apse, Panel 1. | |
| 2. Book: | The (1921) Masonic Roll of Honour 1914-1918 | Pg.130 | |
| 3. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 25C GQS | |
| 4. Document: | New Zealand WW1 Masonic List | N.Z. | |
Awards & Titles: | Military Medal | ||
Family :
Son of Henry Casley Nankervis and Jane Nankervis; husband of Maud Evelyn Nankervis, of 265, Ponsonby Rd., Auckland, later of 22 Wellington Street, Auckland, New Zealand.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F. |
Mike: BEAN Arrckland Bti., numbers landed, 281 ; landing delayed of 315; Quinn?s Post, xiii, 321; Walker?s Ridge, 333-4 ; Bloody Aiigle, April 25, 434-5, 438, -4pril 27, 509; intermingled with Australians, 509 ; Pope?s Hill, 598 |
| Action : The Battles of Ypres 1917 (Third Ypres, or Passchendaele) |
31 July - 10 November 1917. By the summer of 1917 the British Army was able for the first time to fight on its chosen ground on its terms. Having secured the southern ridges of Ypres at Messines in June, the main attack started on 31st July 1917 accompanied by what seemed like incessant heavy rain, which coupled with the artillery barrages conspired to turn much of the battlefield into a bog. Initial failure prompted changes in the high command and a strategy evolved to take the ring of ridges running across the Ypres salient in a series of 'bite and hold' operations, finally culminating in the capture of the most easterly ridge on which sat the infamous village of Passchendaele. The Official History carries the footnote ?The clerk power to investigate the exact losses was not available? but estimates of British casualties range from the official figure of 244,000 to almost 400,000. Within five months the Germans pushed the British back to the starting line, which was where they had been since May 1915.
Detail :
27139, Private William Henry Nankervis "A" Company, 1st Battalion Auckland Regiment, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
He is commemorated by his service on the Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph and by the New Zealand War Graves Project.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Eden No. 1530 E.C. | New Zealand (North Island) |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
27th October 1914 | 26th January 1915 | 22nd March 1915 |
William was initiated into Eden Lodge just after commencement of hostilities in October 1914. He is listed as a Master Painter from Grey Lynn. His entry shows "Killed in action October 1917."
Source :
The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
- The (UK) National Archives
- Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
- ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry
Additional Source:
- Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
- Researcher : Bruce Littley