248 Win Place, Richmond

The story

248 Win Place Richmond, street scene 2019

Reason for the name

This street in Richmond is named in honour of two sons of J W Win of Richmond who served in World War 1. 47262 Sapper Graham Win and 31562 Private Roy Wesley Win. In addition there are four other soldiers named Win from the Tasman District honoured with this poppy place.

 

Fallen and returned servicemen have been remembered across Tasman district in various ways including the naming of streets and buildings, the planting of trees and the installation of monuments. In conjunction with the 100-year anniversary of the signing of the armistice that ended the fighting between Germany and the Allies during World War I, Tasman District Council installed new street signs acknowledging the service of fallen and returned soldiers from Richmond. The move comes after the Richmond Waimea RSA asked the council to take part in the Poppy Places project by adding poppies to street signs named after soldiers with a connection to Richmond.

Richmond Waimea RSA president Ross Norgate and Tasman District Council’s Megan Bell managed the project. Tasman mayor Richard Kempthorne said the council was proud to be part of the project.

The information regarding the naming of Win Place could not be confirmed by the Poppy Places Trust. Tasman District Council data only stated that the street was named in honour of JW Win who died in WW1. Whilst this information could not be verified it was revealed that two sons of JW Win served and survived the war. Research also revealed that there were four other soldiers named Win from Tasman District who served in WW1. Council decided that the street would be rededicated to the Win family of the Tasman District.

Author: The Poppy Places Trust

 

Win Place Richmond

47262 Sapper Graham Win

47262 Sapper Graham Win was born in Nelson on 13 June 1891

His next of Kin was his wife c/- J. W. Win of Nelson

Graham Win was employed prior to the war as a coach builder by Pomeroy of Otorohanga

He married Ada Annie Coombes on 15 June 1915 and they had a daughter Grace Winifred born on 5 November 1916.

Graham Win joined the NZ Army on 20 February 1917. He spent 140 days in training in NZ and then spent 2 years and 12 days overseas.

The record shows that Graham embarked for overseas on 12 June 1917 and arrived in the UK on 16 August. He left for Etaples France and served in the Corps of Engineers.

Returning home on 23 June 1919 Graham was discharged on 21 July 1919 on the termination of his engagement.

31562 Private Roy Wesley Win   

31562 Private Roy Wesley Win was born in Nelson on 1 August 1894

His next of kin was his father J. W. Win of Nelson

Roy Win was self-employed as a farmer in Awa Nelson

He was married but details are not recorded

Roy Win joined the Army 24 July 1916 and spent 142 days in training in NZ and then 2 years and 242 days overseas

Roy embarked for overseas on 15 November 1916 and arrived in the UK 19 January 1917. Two months later he went to Etaples France and served in the 2nd Company 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment. Returning home Roy was discharged on 22 March 1919

In addition we found four other soldiers by the name of Win from Nelson who also served in WW1 but had no identifiable connection to J.W. Win:

6/3516 Private Ronald Win Canterbury Infantry Regiment 8th Reinforcements

76628 Private Charles Raymond Win 12th Regt. Territorials. Did not serve outside NZ

26357 Private Dudley William Win Canterbury Infantry Regiment 18th Reinforcements

83016 Private Frederick John Win Canterbury Infantry Regiment

Roy Win was an Infantryman with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment which was one of four regional infantry groupings (along with Auckland, Wellington, and Otago) which made up the bulk of New Zealand’s infantry forces during the First World War. It served as the Canterbury Battalion at Gallipoli in 1915, before being divided into 1st Canterbury Infantry Battalion and 2nd Canterbury Infantry Battalion in March 1916. An additional battalion, 3rd Canterbury Infantry Battalion, existed between March 1917 and February 1918. The regiment served on the Western Front from 1916 until 1918. Roy was posted to the 1st Battalion in March 1917 therefore his service would have centred on the Western Front.

Graham Win was an Army Engineer. The engineers were the army’s skilled tradesmen, maintaining communications, railways, roads, water supply, bridges and transport, as well as building fortifications and maintaining weapons. Their overall aim was to assist the movement of friendly forces and obstruct the movement of enemy forces. In 1914 the NZEF included only an Engineers Field Troop attached to the Mounted Rifles Brigade. Three further ‘Field Companies’ were established between 1914 and 1916 to serve the rest of the New Zealand forces. The Field Troop was disbanded in January 1916 with the reorganisation of the New Zealand units, and the three Field Companies shifted to the Western Front with the rest of the New Zealand Division.

Both Graham and Roy Win along with thousands of other NZ soldiers served some time in Sling Camp. In 1916, the camp was occupied by New Zealand forces and was then known as Anzac Camp by some. It then comprised four main sections: Auckland, Wellington, Otago, and Canterbury Lines. It was officially called the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade Reserve Camp, and trained reinforcements and housed casualties who were regaining fitness.

In 1918, there were 4,300 men at Sling. Soon after this date the camp suffered large casualties as a result of the Spanish influenza. The camp also housed fourteen New Zealand conscientious objectors (among them Archibald Baxter and his brothers Alexander and John), who had been forced into the army and sent all the way from New Zealand to England to make an example of them.

At the end of the war, there were 4,600 New Zealand troops stationed at the camp and it became a repatriation centre. At that time there was unrest in other camps as a result of delays in demobilising troops. To try to maintain order the "spit and polish" regime was enforced and route marches ordered. The men requested a relaxation of discipline as the war was over and they were far from home, however this was refused and the troops rioted, stealing food from the mess and all of the alcohol from the officers' mess.

In an attempt to resolve the situation, the officers and men were promised no repercussions, but this promise was not honoured; the ringleaders were arrested, jailed and immediately shipped back to New Zealand. To occupy them, the New Zealand soldiers were put to work carving the shape of a large Kiwi in the chalk of the hill that overlooks the camp. The Bulford Kiwi, as it is known, is still there today.  Much of the original camp was demolished in the 1920s and replaced by newer buildings.

The Wins also served in Etaples France. During the First World War the town became a vast Allied military camp and then a giant 'hospital city'.  Many medical facilities were established by the Australians, New Zealanders and British.  Wounded soldiers were consequently often sent to Etaples to recover or en route for Britain.

The town's medical prominence did not escape the attention of the German military high command, which duly organised a number of air raids on the town.  Four such attacks in May 1918 were launched using incendiary bombs directed against the various hospital sites.

Given that literally hundreds of patients were suffering from fractured femurs many were unable to move to safety during such raids.  They were thus assisted by hospital orderlies - who themselves came under machine gun fire from low-flying aircraft pilots watching out for just such activity. Aside from its reputation for medical facilities Etaples also hosted a vast military cemetery, containing some 12,000 graves.

 

  

 

 

Commemoration

No commemoration has been recorded for this place. 

Council records

Tasman District Council

24-hour phone: 03 543-8400

info@tasman.govt.nz

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Office hours

All offices (except Murchison) are open Monday to Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm

Murchison office open Tuesday to Friday, 10:30 am - 12:30 pm and 1:10 pm - 4:00 pm

Postal Address: 189 Queen Street, Private Bag 4, Richmond, Nelson, 7050

References

http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE11181551

http://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE13520939

https://teara.govt.nz/en/photograph/34138/the-chalk-kiwi-at-sling-camp

http://roadstothegreatwar-ww1.blogspot.com/2015/07/notorious-etaples-camp.html

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/infantry-units/canterbury-infantry-regiment

https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/specialist-units/engineers