Gnr. Arthur Board

Arthur was born in Tamaki and educated in Ellerslie, Auckland. He was about 16 when the family moved to Hangatiki. It is known that Arthur worked for his older brother Sydney in the stables and ferrying passengers to and from the Waitomo Caves from about 1906. He gave his occupation as Farmer when he enlisted in the army. NZ Post Office Directory 1910 - Arthur Board Contractor Hangatiki. Arthur left New Zealand as part of NZ Rifle Brigade for the battlefields of France in February 1916. He transfered to X Battery New Zealand Field Artillery in August 1916 as a Gunner. The Auckland Star Newspaper reported his death as November 1916. It would seem Arthur was killed in an mortar explosion with 2 other soldiers near Armentieres, France 26th November. The gunners fired 3 shells with no problems; the fourth burst after leaving the Mortar. The Court of Inquiry into the Death of Arthur Board states: "From the evidence available there is nothing to show it was anyone's fault. The court considers that the accident could only be due to some defect in the ammunition". Source: Bio via Cenotaph.

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
2. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohBo.html / Ref 4.4.2021