Denis Healy was born in Kyeburn, Central Otago, New Zealand on 25 October 1896. He had six older sisters and three older brothers. He enlisted with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force on 25 July 1916 for the Duration of the War. On 28 August 1916 at Trentham, Denis Healy signed the Attestation of Service and formally enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. On the form he stated that he was a Farm Labourer for a Mr C Donald, and that he had served with the 10th Regiment Territorials. He had in fact registered for compulsory military training under the Defence Act 1909 at Naseby and was still serving in the territorials when he signed up for the NZEF. He was placed in D Company of the 19th Reinforcements. When he was seen by the Medical Officer at Naseby on 26 June 1916, Denis was noted as being 19 years 9 months of age, and was 5 ft 10 and a half inches tall, with dark hair and hazel eyes and he was in good all round health. His religion was Roman Catholic. " On 15 November 1916, Denis left Wellington on the "H.M.T. Maunganui" for Devonport in England, arriving on 29 January 1917, where he was marched in to Sling. On the 30th he marched out to Codford, another military training camp near Salisbury. During the long sea voyage, Denis had twice been admitted to the ship's hospital during January suffering from mild influenza for a total of 7 days. Denis remained at Codford for four months, until 28 May 1917 when he left for France after being posted to 4th Company. A document in his Service Records was a Casualty Form. On this Casualty Form for Active Service, it is noted that Denis was "Wounded in Action" "in the field" on 4 October 1917, and was admitted to the 4th Australian Casualty Clearing Station with shrapnel wounds to the back and abdomen. On the 15th of October, he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital, where he later died. Denis and his older brother Thomas had been involved in the Battle of Broodseinde Ridge, the precursor to the Battle of Passcendaele. On a document named Field Service, it was reported that Private Dennis Healy 32666 of 4th Company, 3rd Battalion, Otago Regiment, NZEF, had died on 16 October 1917. He was at the No 2 Canadian Stationary Hospital in the field, France, and he died of "wounds received in action". The Casualty Form and other documents state that Private Denis Healy was buried in Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, in the town of Boulogne-Sur-Mer, France. Sometime in 1922, his mother Margaret received Denis's War Medals, including the Victory Medal. Margaret also received a memorial plaque and scroll issued by King George V. These large bronze medallions (about the size of a modern CD disk) were issued to the next of kin of members of His Majesty's armed forces who died in military service in World War I. The scroll was despatched on 13 June 1921, and the plaque on 14 January 1922. The Battle of Broodseinde Ridge is well documented on various websites. The plan was to capture a ridge and a hill, overlooking some towns, where the Germans had a stronghold. The initial assault group would seize the area up to the base of the ridge. They would then be leapfrogged by a second group, who were to capture the ridge and nearby hill. But on the evening of the 3rd of October, the weather changed. There was gale-force winds and rain. Private Denis Healy, and his brother Private Thomas Healy, from the Otago Regiment, were part of the assaulting force, where 330 soldiers killed and over 200 missing. During the battle, Thomas Healy got separated from his younger brother, and he couldn't find him afterwards. He had seen him being carried away on a stretcher, wounded. On the 30th of October, he wrote a letter to his sister Margaret, back home in Dunedin, telling her what happened. "Dear Maggie, Just a few lines to let you know I am still alive and well hoping I'll find all with you the same. You will all have heard before this of Dennis being wounded, he was hit on the fourth, it was a piece of shell that stuck him, he was hit through the abdomen. I saw him getting carried away on a stretcher but could not get speaking to him as we were in a scrap at the time and I could not leave the gun. I am a machine gunner and he was a stretcher-bearer. I wrote to Rose and Mother two days ago and was going to write to you but I wanted to see if I would hear from Denis but I have not heard from him since he went away. All I know is that he was admitted to the Australian General Hospital on the day he was wounded. It is very hard to get news here. It was near Ypres where it happened. Ypres is a town in Belgium. We are out of the line just now having what they call a rest in a little place in France. I received a parcel from you and one from mother the other day and I can tell you they came in very handy at the time. There was a big lot of New Zealanders fell in the last stint, Jack Crutchley and Jim Mullholland were both killed. It is a very wet country this and not much sunshine. No nice warm days like NZ. Dennis is lucky to miss here for the winter, he will get six to eight months holiday out of his wound and perhaps he will get to New Zealand. I am going to write to the base records office today to find out where he is and get in touch with him. I was glad to hear Eileen was home again but sorry to hear her foot was not much better. I will have to stop now so wishing all well, I remain your brother Tom. PS Tell Jack there is no races here, only a race for life sometimes." Apparently Denis was hit in the back and stomach by shrapnel while helping to carry wounded soldiers from the battlefield. Tom had seen him getting taken away for treatment, but hadn't heard from him since. He was hoping to find out soon. In fact Denis was evacuated to the 4th Australian Casualty Clearing Station. A Casualty Clearing Station was part of the casualty evacuation chain, further back from the front line than the Aid Posts and Field Ambulances. It was manned by troops of the Royal Army Medical Corps, with attached Royal Engineers and men of the Army Service Corps. The job of the CCS was to treat a man sufficiently for his return to duty or, in most cases, to enable him to be evacuated to a Base Hospital. It was not a place for a long-term stay. Denis was then evacuated to the 2nd Canadian Stationary Hospital for further treatment where he died on 16 October. So Denis had actually died 12 days later from his wounds. But Tom didn't know that when he wrote his letter on the 30th of October. It must have been quite worrying for him, not knowing what happened to his brother. Denis, who was a stretcher bearer, had the most dangerous job of all, to help evacuate wounded New Zealand soldiers from the battlefield. The stretcher bearers were known as the "Khaki Angels". Denis was a true hero. He was hit when a shell exploded near him, while trying to save other soldiers' lives. He paid the ultimate price, with his own life. He was just 21 years old. Denis is buried at Boulogne Eastern Cemetery, in France. Denis is remembered on his parents headstone located in Plot 55, Block 24 in Andersons Bay Cemetery, which reads: "Thomas Healy, Also Pte Denis Healy, Killed in France 16 Oct 1917, Also Margaret, Beloved Wife of above, Died at Naseby 5 April 1926, Aged 69 years. R.I.P." Denis is also remembered on a memorial which was erected by the residents of Kyeburn and Kokonga at Swinburn Cemetery to the memory of their fallen soldiers who paid the supreme sacrifice in the Great War 1914-1918, which was unveiled in April 1920. You can visit http://www.webgirl.co.nz/SharpHealy/denishealy.html for more information and images.

Dale Hartle