Thames (NZ): WWI Troopship Newsletters

An amazing resource available at The Auckland War Memorial Museum Library - WWI Troopship newsletters/Magazines. The publications contain news from the ships, written contributions from those onboard and reinforcement lists.

You will find your Thames men and women in the writings, but be warned it just takes some organisation. The magazines are in searchable pdfs.
1.Start by finding the embarkation date and ship that your family member departed on. Not sure? Check the Auckland Cenotaph database and you will locate that information.
2. Go to the list of magazines at the Library. Look for the year and ship that matches...if you can't find it easily, try the refine search and enter other details like 'ship name' and click 'words contain'
3. Worse scenario, you may have to open and read the magazines if you can't get results. Use the CTRL+ F function to search within a document.

The news of John Joseph Merrick's death aboard the Aparima was reported in other magazines, and came as a shock to many that a death had already occurred. The notice below appeared in The Maunganuian, Monday June 28 1915.

 

Merrick was the son of Caroline and John Merrick and his address on enlistment was Puriri, Thames.

NZ Herald 28/06/1915

Auckland War Memorial Cenotaph Record

 

DO you have any postcards, letters, diaries or other WWI Memorabilia?

If you are able to share a digital copy please contact The Treasury 

The volunteers will arrange copying for you if required