WW1 Military Service - Robert Guilford

GUILFORD, Robert (Service No. 52602); First Rank: Private Birth Date: 4 August 1873; Place of Birth - Pleasant Valley, Timaru (Geraldine) Enlistment Information: Date 19 December 1916; Age - 43 yrs 5 mths. Address at Enlistment: Clandeboye, Temuka Occupation: Farmer Marital Status: Married (1) Annie Elizabeth GREENALL, on 24 August 1905, at Waitohi, Temuka. Annie died in 1906 at the birth of her child, at Geraldine, Beatrice Ann GUILDFORD born 11 July 1906, Geraldine, died 20 June 1907, Geraldine; Married (2) Ethel Kazia ANNALS, on 19 April 1916 at Temuka. Children - William Patrick GUILFORD born 17 March 1917; Raymond GUILFORD born 1919, Geraldine, died 1919; Stillborn child in 1921; Gwendoline Alma GUILFORD born 25 June 1922; Nancy May GUILFORD born 1 August 1926; Alice GUILFORD born 27 September 1929. Next of Kin: Mrs Ethel Kezia GUILFORD (wife), Temuka Religion: Church of England edical Information: Height 5 feet 6 inches. Weight 138 lbs. Chest measurement 34-37 inches. Complexion ruddy. Eyes blue. Hair fair. Eyes both 6/6. Hearing, colour vision, heart and lungs all normal. Limbs and chest well formed. Full movement of joints. No illnesses. Free from hernia, varicocele, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, inveterate or contagious skin disease. Vaccinated (left arm). Good bodily and mental health. No slight defects. No fits. Ft, Class A. Military Service: Served with the New Zealand Armed Forces in the Army Embarkation Information: Body on Embarkation: New Zealand Expeditionary Force - 28th Reinforcements Wellington Infantry Regiment, B Company; Date - 14 July 1917; Transport Waitematata Embarked From Wellington; Destination - Plymouth, England Campaigns: Western Europe Service Medals: British War Medal; Victory Medal Discharge Date 2 November 1918; Reason: Hospitals, Wounds, Diseases and Illnesses Admitted to Walton-on-Thames Hospital on 13 February 1918, suffering from myalgia. By May 1918 the myalgia was deeemed chronic. Post-war Occupations: Dairy farmer Death: Date 7 April 1953; Age 79 yrs Place of Death: New Plymouth Memorial or Cemetery: Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth

Biographical Notes Robert GUILFORD was a son of William & Ann GUILFORD. He married secondly Ethel Kazia ANNALS, a sister of the four ANNALS brothers who enlisted, two of them killed in action. Two brothers of Robert died within 6 weeks in the War - Walter was killed in action on 27 March 1918 at the Somme, France and Cecil died of wounds on 4 May 1918 at the Somme. Robert had all his primary school education at Pleasant Valley School, where his father was on the school committee from 1876. While the family moved to Tarata, Inglewood in 1902, Robert stayed on in South Canterbury for some years. He enlisted at Timaru in December 1916. In May 1918 he was at the NZ Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch, suffering with chronic myalgia, when he was considered for invaliding. Robert was not young when he enlisted and, although passed Fit Class A, he had been suffering from the effects of myalgia for a few years.