An amazing photo of Jack Day and his bride Violet on their wedding day in 1925.


An amazing photo of Jack Day and his bride Violet on their wedding day in 1925.

John (Jack) Day service number 57490.

Jack was born on the 18th of March 1890 at Kerrytown near Timaru. He was the 10th and youngest child of Robert and Mary Day.

He was working as a ploughman in Fairlie when war was declared, Jack’s brother Bob enlisted early on in 1915 and saw service with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Jack continued working until his name was called in a conscription ballet. Firstly he appealed his induction into the army as he was also caring for his elderly mother, Jack’s father having died in a working accident in Tekapo when Jack was 9 years old. 

His brother Bob was wounded with shell concussion in August 1916 at the Battle of Romani fighting the Turkish army. It was understood that upon Bob’s return to New Zealand Jack would enlist.

Jack’s medical on the 26th of February 1917 at Timaru says he was 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighed 69kg. He had a fair complexion with dark hair and blue eyes, his next of kin was his mother Mary and he was living in grey’s hills station in Fairlie when he enlisted. It also mentions he had previous issues with a sprained right ankle. 

Bob returned home from the Middle East in May 1917 so Jack joined the next intake to Trentham Military Camp arriving on the 25th of June 1917. He was posted to C Company 29th Reinforcements and began his initial training. Later on after some final leave and with his training complete, Jack boarded the ship the Ruahine and departed NZ from Wellington on the 15th of August 1917.

 The Ruahine along with the ship Mokoia carried Jack and the 29th Reinforcements of 1,618 men to the United Kingdom where they landed at Glasgow on the 2nd of October. From the boats they were transported to Sling Military Camp for further training arriving the following day.
While here, Jack became unwell and was admitted to Tidworth Military Hospital on the 12th of November 1917. 

The doctors couldn’t find an accurate diagnosis for Jack at the time but he was considered infectious and was transferred to a quarantine camp at Perham Down on the 19th of November.

Here he regained his strength, eventually making the journey to France on the 10th of January 1918. He marched into Etaples Military Camp for final training 3 days later. 

Jack marched out to the front to join the NZ Division on the 22nd of February. He arrived and joined his new unit 1st Company of the  1st Battalion Canterbury Infantry Regiment who had just arrived at Belgian Chateau which was South West of Ypres after a spell in the frontline. 

This began a period of rest and recreation including an inspection by General Russell Commanding Officer of the NZ Division on March the 1st 1918. Hurried orders came through on the 23rd of March after the German onslaught began in which they reclaimed a lot of the ground that had been fought over so costly during 1916-1917.

 The NZ Division would be rushed in to hold the line along with other allied units that had been in reserve areas. Jack and 1st Canterbury Battalion arrived to begin the defence on the 26th of March 1918 in the Beaumont Hamel area. This was Jack’s baptism of fire and he was in the thick of it particularly on the 5th of April when after large artillery bombardment the Germans attacked the 1st Canterbury battalions area several times during the day all of which were eventually repulsed, the line held with Jack and his unit relieved on the evening of the 7th/8th of April.

 After these attacks the nature of the fighting returned to trench warfare. With further spells in and out of the frontline, Jack was wounded in his  wrist during one of these spells on the evening of 12th/13th of May 1918. He was evacuated to hospital for 5 days being admitted to 5th General Hospital in Rouen before being transferred to a convalescent home. By the 22nd of May he was back at the NZ base depot at Etaples Military Camp, here he had an accident and sprained his ankle that he had previously had trouble with before enlistment.

 He received treatment for this at 5th General Hospital on the 2nd of June, being transferred to 74th General Hospital at Trouville on the 7th of June. Recovery was continued at 4th convalescent home in Le Havre on the 1st of July 1918. With his recovery complete he was posted back to the NZ base depot at Etaples Military Camp, there was no disciplinary action taken at the time and his injury was deemed an accident. 

Jack marched out to join the NZ Division again in the field, this time joining the 2nd NZ Entrenching Battalion on the 30th of July. This unit was used as a labour force in and near the frontline feeding the infantry units with men as an when needed. 
Jack was transferred back to his old unit 1st Company of the 1st Battalion Canterbury Regiment on the 28th of August, he arrived while they were stationed in trenches south of Bihucourt and he seen the final stages of the Battle for Bapaume and the push beyond the town. Continuing the advance on a retreating enemy through till 7th of September when they were relieved and moved into reserve. 

1st Canterbury battalion along with Jack was next in action during the 2nd Battle of Cambrai which began  on the 8th of October 1918, it was an overall success although with many casualties with troops of the Canadian Corps taking Cambrai during the day. 

Granted leave on the 26th of October to the United Kingdom, Jack I’m sure was relieved at some time away from the line. He returned to his unit on the 4th of November just in time to take part in New Zealand’s last action of the war at the fortress town of Le Quesnoy. 

It was another successful attack with many German prisoners taken and little damage to civilians and the town, a point in which the townspeople were forever grateful. Jack’s unit was in action the following day the 5th of November pushing the line forward beyond Le Quesnoy. 6 days later the guns fell silent and there was no more fighting. 
Jack and his mates rested at Le Quesnoy and by November 28th they had began the journey to Germany to take part in the allied occupation of the Rhineland. 
His 1st Canterbury Battalion was the first to enter Germany and were situated near Cologne. 

They were based at barracks of the German 16th Infantry Regiment and were very comfortable quarters. 
On the 3rd of February the 1st and 2nd Canterbury battalions amalgamated into one. On the 21st of February Jack departed Germany and returned to the United Kingdom. Here he was in camp at Larkhill and also the NZ General Base depot at Codford. 

Jack wrote many postcards home to his mother Mary and his siblings while overseas. Also while in the UK he tried to visit his father’s family in Yorkshire but it is said they refused to see him because Jack’s father Robert married an Irish Catholic girl. He was finally able to board a ship home leaving England on the Maunganui on the 17th of May 1919. Jack arrived home in NZ on the 23rd of June and received his final discharge on the 21st of July. 

Returning to civilian life, Jack went back to his farm work and later on during 1925 ran away to Christchurch with Violet Smith and got married. He was 35 years old and she was 21 at the time her parents weren’t to happy she ran away with a Catholic to start a new life. 

They would settle in Otaio for a time before moving to Pareora where he took on a position as farm manager at Pareora freezing works. Violet and Jack would raise 6 daughters and 3 sons. 
During WW2, Jack and Violet’s home was close to the railway stop and Jack would often be seen marching next to the troop trains full of men heading off to camp. He like most veterans talked little of the war other than that he really hated his time in the trenches. 

Jack and Violet lived a full life with Jack passing away in 1958 and Violet joining him in 1976.
May his memory and deeds live on forever. 

Thank you to Jo- Ann O’Loughlin for the back ground information about Jack Day.

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