Lance Sergeant Hugh Frederick OWEN (1884-1917).

NZEF Service # 6/318; Lance Sergeant, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, 12th (Nelson) Company, Main Body, New Zealand Expeditionary Forces (NZEF).

Born 11 December 1884 - at Hawera, South Taranaki, North Island, New Zealand.

Hugh was the son of Hugh & Elizabeth Owen - of Nelson, South Island, New Zealand.

Prior to enlistment for war service Hugh Owen was a Carpenter - at Nelson.

Hugh Owen enlisted for war service - on 17 August 1914 - at Nelson.

At enlistment he was posted as a Private, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 2nd Battalion, Main Body, NZEF.

On 16 October 1914 Private Owen left New Zealand - with the Main Body NZEF - aboard HMNZ either T4 'Tahiti' or T11 'Athenic' - from Port of Wellington, North Island, New Zealand.

On 3 December 1914 Private Owen disembarked from his transport ship from New Zealand - at Suez, Egypt.

Private Owen embarked again - from Alexandria, Egypt on 12 April 1915 - to serve with the ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) forces - at Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey.

At Gallipoli Private Owen was posted to the 12th (Nelson) Company-  of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment NZEF.

Private Owen served, at Gallipoli, until he was wounded in action - on 8 May 1915. He was admitted, the same day, to the No 11 Casualty Clearing Station, at Gallipoli.

Six days later - on 14 May 1915 - Private Owen was medically evacuated from Gallipoli - aboard  HM Hospital Ship HS 'Bremner Castle'. Four days later - on 18 May 1915 - he was admitted to hospital - at Malta.

One month later - on 19 June 1915 - Private Owen returned to Gallipoli - aboard HT 'Achaia'. He re-joined his unit - on 25 June 1915 - at Gallipoli Peninsula.

On 7 August 1915 Private Owen was, again, wounded in action - at Gallipoli. He was medically evacuated, by sea, from Gallipoli and admitted to the St Elmo Valetta Hospital - at Malta.

Five months later - in January 1916 - Private Owen re-joined his unit - at Ismailia, Egypt.

On 13 April 1916 Private Owen left Port Said, Egypt, for active war service - at France & Belgium.

Five weeks later he joined his Battalion - the 2nd Battalion of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment - at Somme, Armentieres, France. At the same time he was posted to the 12th (Nelson) Company.

On 10 July 1916 Private Owen was wounded, for the 3rd time, at the Somme, Armentieres, France.

Private Owen was medically evacuated from France to England - where he was admitted to the Western General Hospital, at Glenmorgan, England.

On 14 December 1916 Private Owen re-joined his unit - in the field, at France.

Private Owen was - on 1 February 1917 - promoted to the rank of Corporal - at France or Belgium. He was promoted again - on 21 July 1917 - to the rank of Lance Sergeant.

Lance Sergeant Hugh F. Owen continued to serve at France & Belgium until he was killed in action - on 8 August 1917 - at Belgium.

Lance Sergeant Hugh F. Owen is buried at the Pont- D'Achelles Military Cemetery, Nieppe, Nord, France (Grave ref: 11.C.12).

Lance Sergeant Hugh F. Owen is also remembered at his hometown in New Zealand - on the ANZAC Park War Memorial (1914-1918) - at Nelson City, South Island, New Zealand.

For Lance Sergeant Hugh F. Owen's full military record refer to New Zealand Online Cenotaph : wwwaucklandmuseum.com

Photo Credit: Lance Sergeant H. F. Owen : 'Weekly News' (13 September 1917) - from the Auckland Library Heritage Photograph Collection (Auckland, New Zealand).

Photo Credit: ANZAC Park War Memorial, Nelson City, New Zealand : Ministry of Culture & Heritage : www.nzhistory.govt.org

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jenifer Everett