Alexander Duncan Shanks GALE

Regimental number9/1424
Date of birth9 December 1893
Place of birthAddingstone, Scotland
ReligionPresbyterian
OccupationFarmer
AddressDanebury, Mayfield, Canterbury
Marital statusSingle
Age at embarkation21
Height5' 9.5"
Weight154 lbs
Next of kinFather, William Paget Gale, 75 Stafford Street, Dunedin
Enlistment date24 August 1915
Rank on embarkationTrooper
Enlistment statusVolunteer
Unit nameNew Zealand Expeditionary Force, 7th Reinforcements, Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment
Embarkation detailsUnit embarked from Wellington on 10 October 1915
The Mounted Rifles component of the 7th Reinforcements left New Zealand on 10 October 1915 on board two ships, 'Aparima' and 'Navua'. It is not possible from the Nominal Roll to determine on which ship an individual embarked.
Final rankPrivate
Final unit1st Battalion, Otago Infantry Regiment
FateCommenced return to New Zealand 24 December 1918
Discharge date26 February 1919
Other details

War service: Egypt, Western Front

Left Zeitoun for Canal Zone, 23 January 1916.

Transferred to Pioneer Bn, Ismailia, 14 March 1916.

Embarked Port Said to join the British Expeditionary Force, 9 April 1916.

Proceeded on leave, 25 July 1917; rejoined Bn, in the field, 6 August 1917.

Found guilty, 10 August 1917, of when on Active Service being absent without leave from 8.30 pm, 8 August, to 11 am, 10 August 1917: awarded 28 days' Field Punishment No 2, and forfeited 3 days' pay. Detached to Field Punishment Compound, 11 August 1917; rejoined unit, 24 August 1917.

Transferred to 1st Bn, Otago Infantry Regiment, 7 September 1917.

Wounded in action, 12 October 1917 (gun shot wound, left shoulder), admitted to No 1 NZ Field Ambulance, and transferred same day to 44th Casualty Clearing Station; to 14th General Hospital, Wimereux, 13 October 1917; to England, 14 October 1917, and admitted to No 2 NZ General Hospital, Walton-on-Thames. Transferred to NZ Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch, 30 October 1917; discharged to Convalescent Depot, Codford. Granted leave to 27 December 1917.

On Command to NZ Soldiers' Club, Russell Square, 17 January 1918.

Admitted to No 3 NZ General Hospital (Venereal Section), Codford, 14 May 1918; discharged, 15 June 1918.

Commenced return to New Zealand from Plymouth on board HT 'Briton', 24 December 1918; discharged, 26 February 1919.

Total war service: 3 years 188 days (of which 3 years 114 days were abroad)

Medals: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal
Miscellaneous detailsNominal Roll Vol. 1: Otago Mounted Rifles/Seventh
Date of death31 March 1965 Dunedin
Age at death71
SourcesArchives New Zealand (Wellington), Agency AABK, Series 18805