Thomas Henry Mossman

https://media.api.aucklandmuseum.com/id/media/public/c5d3e2f4-60a7-...

The Mossman family of Gisborne

Thomas Henry Mossman was a sheep-farmer from Waerenga-o-kuri, near Gisborne.
When the First World War started, he was 27 years old, single, a well known figure in his local community and a member of the Gisborne Squadron of the Legion of Frontiersmen.
The Legion had been founded in England in 1904 to provide a body of trained men who would be available to serve the British Empire should the need arise. The Legion was established in New Zealand in 1911, and Thomas Mossman joined in 1912.

Thomas was the first of four Mossman brothers to enlist for war service, on 21 October 1914.
The Gisborne Frontiersmen had been selected to fill a shortfall of men in the 2nd Reinforcements of the
Otago Mounted Rifles. They left for the training camp at Trentham on 24 October, and the local newspaper reported that 'the men will go into camp in the Legion's uniform.'
Thomas is wearing the Legion's uniform in this photograph, which must have been taken some time between his arrival in Wellington and his embarkation with the 2nd Reinforcements on 14 December.

Trooper in OMR, file number 9/728.

Sources

1. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohMe.html / Ref 12.4.2021