War service: Egypt

Enlisted with rank of trooper and posted to Auckland Mounted Rifles, 4th Reinforcements, Trentham Camp, Upper Hutt, 16 December 1914. Proceeded overseas from Wellington on board HMNZT 'Waitoma', 17 April 1915.

Disembarked Suez, Egypt, 25 May 1915.

Commenced return from Egypt to New Zealand onboard HMNZT 'Aparima', 10 August 1915 (venereal disease - gonorrhea).

Arrived Port Chalmers, New Zealand, 16 September 1915. Found by medical board to have recovered from gonorrhea and classified fit for service, HMNZT 'Aparima', 16 September 1915. Disembarked at Wellington and returned to duty, Trentham Camp, 18 September 1915.

Found guilty, 3 November 1915, of being absent without leave from 7 October 1915 and posted in routine orders as a deserter with retrospective effect from 28 October 1915.

Government statistician reports he has no trace of a schedule or enrolment card under the Military Service Act 1916, 18 October 1917.

Retrospective certificate of discharge (as a deserter), dated 7 October 1915, recorded (but not issued - current address unknown), 8 June 1920.

Deemed ineligible for service medals on grounds of 1) returned as Venereal Disease patient and 2) discharged as a deserter, 27 April 1920. New Zealand Expeditionary Force Certificate of Service scroll 'not written', 28 November 1922. Medal action completed and ineligibility as deserter confirmed, 27 September 1923, with following note added: 'But subsequent service with Australian Imperial Force which has been notified that he is ineligible for medals with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.'