Trooper Charles Clements McINTYRE
WWI 16429 – Army
Born on the 6th November 1891, Charlie was the 10th of 11 children to parents John and Catherine (nee Bath) who resided in Thornbury.
Charlie’s early history includes attendance as Flints Bush, Waihopai and Southland Boys’ High Schools. He left school to work on the 1400 acre family farm ‘Rothiemurchus’ or “Rothie”, named after the Scottish birthplace of his father John. Charlie was a keen sportsman and played for the Southland Boys’ High School XV and for the Riverton Football Club.
Charlie began his service in The Great War on the 2nd May 1916 at the age of 24, with the 17th New Zealand Mounted Rifles and then the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. Unfortunately on the 30th March 1918 at 26 years of age Charlie was killed in action whilst serving in Palestine. At the time of his death he had served 1 year 333 days for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Charlie’s military war grave is in the Damascus Commonwealth War Cemetery, Syria.
You can view Charlie’s service record here McINTYRE, Charles Clements – WWI 16429 – Army
Also serving in The Great War was Charlie’s brother Ernest (Ernie) and sisters Catherine (Kate) and Charlotte (Lotte).
Kate (WWI 22/210 – Army) served 3 years 222 days with the New Zealand Army Nursing Services Corps, returning to New Zealand and marrying Walter John Duncan in 1920. Kate died in Wellington in 1932 and is buried in the Karori Cemetery.
Lotte (WWI 22/458 – Army) also served 2 years 190 days with the New Zealand Army Nursing Services Corps. Lotte returned to New Zealand and died in Auckland in 1989 at 101 years old. Lotte never married.
Find out about Ernie’s war experience through his letters which are also available on this website.