Additions will be checked before being published on the website and where possible will be forwarded to the person who submitted the original entries. Your contact details will not be forwarded, but they can send a reply via this messaging system.
please scroll down to send a message
Sergeant George Richard Henry Labrom
New Zealand Army Canterbury
from:Pound Street, Newry,
My great uncle, George Labrom, was born in Newry, County Down, Northern Ireland on 12th February 1884. He emigrated to New Zealand and died in Aukland in 1949. From the excellent New Zealand records I can see that he enlisted in the army and on the 13th of November 1916 he was posted to F company 23rd Btn. On the 2nd of April 1917 he embarked from Wellington and on the 10th of June disembarked at Devonport with the 4th Reserves Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. He is listed on the Nominal rolls at Sling camp with the rank of Private. The 4th Reserves Battalion Canterbury Regiment, Proceeded overseas and left for France on the 6 July 1917. On the 9th of July they marched into camp at Etaples. On the 24 July George joined 3rd Battalion Canterbury Regiment and was posted to 12 company in Rouen. In October 1917 he was wounded (gassed) in the field and was admitted no 1 New Zealand Field Ambulance, then admitted no 3 Australian casualty clearing post (gassed - mustard gas shell.) On the 19th of October he was admitted no 10 General hospital Rouen (gas poisoning) and on the 23rd he embarked on the Hospital Ship Essequibo for England. The following day he was admitted to 1st New Zealand General Hospital Brockenhurst. In December he was transferred to New Zealand Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch and by the 18 January 1918 he had recovered enough to return to duty at the New Zealand Company Depot at Codford. On the 14th May 1918 he rejoined 3rd Reserve Battalion Canterbury Regiment and proceeded overseas from Sling. On the 19th May he joined No 2 New Zealand Ent Battalion and on the 28th transferred to 2nd Battalion Canterbury Regiment and was appointed Lance Corporal. On the 14th of February 1919 he was with the South Island Battalion and was appointed Lance Sergeant. Finally on the 31st of May 1919 he left Plymouth and embarked for New Zealand onboard His Majesty's Troopship Kigoma.
Throughout WW2 George served in the New Zealand Home Defence. He never married and died alone in his room in a boarding house in 1949. He was buried on 7th September 1949 at Waikumete cemetery, Block K, section 14, no 58, soldiers portion. When I was researching George on the Internet I found that his war medals had recently been sold on the Trademe Internet auction site but I was sadly unable to track them down. The details were: British War Medal 1914-1918 and The Victory Medal Reserve met Closed: Sun 29 Apr 2012, 8:49 pm Listing #: 469032204 Awarded to George Richard Henry Labrom who was a member of the Wanganui District (Group 20) detachment for the 23rd Reinforcements of the NZ Expeditionary Force. Both medals are inscribed around their edges: 40017 T/SJT G.R.H Labrom NZEF
My grandfather, Robert Frederick Labron and his brothers, William John Labrom and George Richard Henry Labrom appear on a plaque in St Patrick's Church, Newry. (My grandfather always spelled his surname Labron). All three were in the army in World War One and all three survived.
