THOMAS CLARIDGE

Private Thomas George Claridge died not in France but back home in Papanui on 7 June 1918. His younger brothers Benjamin (who died of wounds just before Messines) and Isaac had been killed in the disaster at Passchendaele. Thomas had been born on 19 November 1882, and before volunteering in October 1915 had worked on Arthur Shirley's farm at Studholme Junction. Thomas, who had enlisted in April 1915, suffered as a consequence of wounds inflicted at the Somme in 1916. He had arrived with the New Zealand Division from Suez in May 1916 and his initial military experience was in the trenches near Armentiéres. He was briefly hospitalised with influenza, recovering in time to participate in the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. On 29 September 1916, he suffered a gunshot wound to the face, was evacuated to England for treatment, and in January 1917 he was invalided to his home to Chapel Street Papanui, finally being discharged as “unfit for war service” in May 1917. He spent some months in Hanmer trying to recover from rheumatism contracted while in France. He was later returned to Christchurch Hospital where he died on 7 June 1918. According to The Lyttelton Times, “There was a large attendance yesterday at the Papanui Cemetery . Many residents of the district were present, (and) the Returned Soldiers' Association supplied the firing party”. He was buried in the family grave in St Paul's Churchyard in Papanui (see photograph below).

Back to The Men from Papanui