Tpr. Herbert Pengelly Mansel

Herbert Pengelly Mansel was born at the Yatton Estate in Tauranga, New Zealand, on 6 March 1895 (reg. 1895/16196). He was the son of Robert Charles Mansel (1863-1943) and Agnes Elizabeth Mansel (née Talbot) (1864-1947) who had married at Tauranga on 15 July 1885 (reg. 1885/2660). Herbert was a farmer and a Hauraki Regiment Volunteer from 10 November 1911. He enlisted to serve during World War I on 18 October 1915, embarking from Wellington on 8 January 1916 with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (9th Reinforcements Auckland Mounted Rifles, A Squadron) on board the 'Maunganui' for Suez, Egypt. His last rank was trooper (Service No. WWI 13/2843). On 28 June 1916 Herbert received a gunshot wound to the neck in France. He was sent to England and recovered at Hornchurch Convalescent Hospital. He returned to the war in February 1917. By 5 October 1918 Herbert was ill and admitted to hospital, and by 12 October 1918 was reported as being dangerously ill with malaria. Herbert died of malaria at the 34th Clearing Station in Palestine on 23 October 1918, at the age of 23. He was buried in the Jerusalem War Cemetery in Israel [W 6.]. Herbert is remembered on a plaque at St George's Church in Gate Pā, Tauranga. In 2014 Tauranga's 'Field of Remembrance' was created by the Tauranga WW100 Committee. It comprised 107 white crosses in memory of the men from the Tauranga area who died during World War I. Each cross carries a red poppy and the name of an individual who died. Source: Biography by Debbie McCauley (9 December 2014) https://debbiemccauleyauthor.wordpress.com/biographies/tauranga-rol....

Sources

1. Archives New Zealand: Military Personnel File.
2. Auckland War Memorial Museum: Cenotaph https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
3. Births, Deaths and Marriages Online (New Zealand).