Spr. Michael Tobin

Sapper Michael Tobin was the first New Zealand Expeditionary Force member to die on the Western Front during World War I. Michael Tobin was born on 5 June 1880 at Pukekohe, Auckland in New Zealand's North Island (reg. 1880/9377). His parents were Michael Tobin and Mary Tobin (nee Galvin) who had married at Onehunga on 21 February 1871. His father Michael died of heart disease at Pukekohe on 14 October 1887. On or around the 1st of August 1890 his mother Mary left Onehunga by the steamer 'Penguin' for Dunedin along with her 11-year-old son William. There they lived at Rattray and Maclaggan streets. William left Dunedin for Auckland in January 1892 and never heard from his mother again. Advertisements were placed in the newspapers in 1903 and 1907 and inquiries made of the Dunedin police, but to no avail. It was said that Mary had lived an 'abandoned life.' The New Zealand courts declared that Mary had officially died on or before 1 January 1900. Michael was working as a miner with the Tauranga Public Works Department at Mount Maunganui when he enlisted with the New Zealand Engineers, Tunnelling Company during World War I (Service No. WWI 4/1639). He left New Zealand with the Main Body of the Tunnelling Company on board the transport ship HMNZT Ruapehu. After two months toiling underground, Michael was admitted to the British 42nd Casualty Clearing Station at Lucheux on 14 April 1916 but died the following day of bronchial pneumonia. He was buried in Lucheaux Military Cemetery, but was later moved to Beauval Communal Cemetery [A. 26.] where he is the only burial from New Zealand. Michael is remembered on Tauranga's First World War memorial gates at the entrance to Wharepai Domain which were opened by Sir William Herries on 11 December 1921. He is also remembered on a plaque provided by his family for the Tunnelling Company memorial wall in Waihi. Michael's siblings were William Patrick Tobin (1873-1875), Mary Whittle (nee Tobin) (1875-1957), William Aloysius Tobin (1877-1949), Bridget McCloughen (nee Tobin) (1877-1944) and Hanorah Celia Tobin (1884-1941) (bio by Debbie McCauley, 18 January 2022).

Sources

1. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...