| Regimental number | 4/2135 |
| Date of birth | |
| Place of birth | Blenheim |
| Religion | Roman Catholic |
| Occupation | Telegraphist |
| Marital status | Single |
| Age at embarkation | 20 |
| Height | 5' 10" |
| Weight | 147 lbs |
| Next of kin | Father, J Sheary, Richmond, Nelson |
| Previous military service | Served in NZ Post & Telegraph Corps, Territorial Force; still serving at time of NZEF enlistment. |
| Enlistment date | |
| Place of enlistment | Trentham |
| Rank on embarkation | Sapper |
| Unit name | New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 11th Reinforcements, New Zealand Field Engineers, Signal Company |
| Embarkation details | Unit embarked from Wellington on |
| Members of the 11th Reinforcements left New Zealand on board two ships, HMNZT 49 'Maunganui' and HMNZT 50 'Tahiti'. It is not possible from the Nominal Roll to determine on which ship an individual embarked. | |
| Final rank | Sapper |
| Final unit | New Zealand Engineers |
| Fate | Killed in Action |
| Place of burial | No known grave |
| Commemoration details | Tyne Cot Memorial (New Zealand Apse, Panel No 1), nr Ieper, Belgium, |
| Miscellaneous information from cemetery records | Parents: Mr & Mrs James Sheary, Richmond, Nelson |
| Other details |
War service: Egypt, Western Front Embarked Wellington, 1 April 1916; disembarked Suez, 3 May 1916. Appointed Temporary Lance Corporal, Tel el Kebir, 8 May 1916. Embarked Alexandria, 29 May 1916; disembarked Devonport, England, 9 June 1916. Reverted to the ranks, 16 August 1916; appointed Acting Corporal, with pay, 16 August 1916. Reverted to Acting Lance Corporal, 1 October 1916. Proceeded overseas to France, 17 October 1916; detached to Signal Depot, Abbeville, 17 November 1916. Detached to NZ Division, in the field, 16 January 1917. Relinquished appointment of Acting Lance Corporal on joining unit, 19 January 1917. Admitted to No 1 NZ Field Ambulance, 13 February 1917 (venereal disease: syphilis), and transferred to 1st Australian Casualty Clearing Station; to Ambulance Train, 13 February 1917, and admitted to 51st General Hospital, Etaples, 15 February 1917; discharged to Base Details, 9 March 1917. Found guilty, 29 March 1917, of when on Active Service hesitating to obey an order given by an NCO: forfeited 4 days' pay. Rejoined unit, in the field, 20 April 1917. Killed in action, 12 October 1917. Medals: British War Medal, Victory Medal |
| Sources | Nominal Roll Vol. 2: Roll 28, p. 26 Archives New Zealand (Wellington), Agency AABK, Series 18805, File 7816375 |