James Cecil Woodham

7th son of Susan and the late Charles Woodham, of 68 Bordesley St Linwood.

(data from military record, via archway) Date = 27 Sept 1917. (amended, red ink, 27-11-1922 for some reason) Occupation cartage contractor, self-employed born 17 august 1876. military rego 70960 last nz address = 68 bordesley st, linwood. (corner Bordesley and Harrow Streets) Rank = private, "Res Bw Cant Rgt" (reserve ?? canterbury regiment)

next of kin = Mrs E B Overend, (sister), Heathcote Valley ChCh (then changed to 68 Bordesley St, dated 27-11-1922. "Mr Chas Woodham ( E B) [elder brother] Legal NOK" (next of kin)

Date of commencement of active service = 16 april 1918.

In training in NZ, 12 Nov 1917 to 22 April 1918. Embarked April 23.

[upon death] Legal NOK = Mrs S Woodham (m), 18 smith st, heathcote valley. (amended to Mr Chas Woodham, (E B) corner Harrow and Bordersley St, Linwood, 21 Dec 1922) Mother died 27 11 1922.

[No special medals, gets red British War medal - all soldiers get this I think] Never injured or taken prisoner.

"Medals to S Woodham (mother), 18 smith st " etc etc 21-10-1921 amended by crossing out name with "deceased" and replacing with "medals to Mrs E B Overend (s), 68 bordersley st " etc etc 21-12-1922 [seems as if it took this long to pass out medals]

Reported sick 14 August 1918, in London miltary hospital (Tidworth), pneumonia Died Aug 17.

C Company 35th, nov 1917 transferred to A company 36th, 29 jan 1918 trench detail, 13 march 1918 (some more transfers, marched somewhere)

British war medal sent to Mrs Overend, Jan 1923, after some confusion caused by the death of mother

Sailed from Wellington April 23 1918. Stationed with the Australian troops in Suez for a while, month of May. Then seems to have been in Alexandra, early July. Arrived Southampton July 18. Tidworth military hospital Aug 12.

[looks like he never actually got to France, nor saw action].

Father born Wiltshire England, Mother born Cornwall England.

Height 5 ft 8 inches [170 cm] weight 145 lbs. [65 kg]

chest 33.5 to 37 inches.

fresh complexion, grey eyes.

fair hair

church of england

had appendicitis 17 yrs earlier (and 2 subsequent occasions).

buried Tidworth military hospital, grave 275 plot c.

A typed letter was sent to Mrs Overend in October 1918 but did not arrive until May the following year. This is not the first notification that James had died. It is perhaps a follow-on letter listing the details of his death (dates of entry to hospital and where he is buried).

Telegram received Aug 19 1918, from Tidworth.

He was at Trentham (Dece 1917) before going overseas

Private in NZInf, file number 70960. Son of the late Charles and Susan Woodham, of Christchurch

Sources

1. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohWh.html / Ref 18.4.2021