Lance Corporal Harry (Tom) Waterworth MINNIS (1891-1917).
NZEF Service # 6/2709; Lance Corporal, Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 12th (Nelson) Company, 6th Reinforcements, New Zealand Expeditonary Forces (NZEF).
Note: Lance Corporal Harry Minnis was awarded the Military medal (MM) for Acts of Gallantry in the Field - during the Battle of Messines, Belgium June 1917. For the Citation to Lance Corporal Harry Minnis's Military Medal refer to Story (2) this profile.
Harry Minnis was born on 24 April 1891 - at Ashburton, South Island, New Zealand.
Harry was the son of the late Richard & Lucy Minnis - of Ashburton.
Harry Minnis attended Borough School, Ashburton.
Prior to enlistment for war service Harry Minnis was a Telegraphist - employed by the New Zealand (Government) Post Office & Telegraph Service - at Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand.
Harry Minnis enlisted for war service - on 18 April 1915 - at Trentham Military Training Camp, Wellington Region, North Island, New Zealand. He was 24 years of age.
At enlistment Harry Minnis was posted as a Private with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, 6th Reinforcements, NZEF.
On 14 August 1915 Private Minnis left New Zealand for overseas war service - with the 6th Reinforcements NZEF - aboard HMNZ T27 'Willochra' - from Port of Wellington, North Island, New Zealand.
Five weeks later Private Minnis disembarked from his transport ship from New Zealand - at either Suez or Alexandria, Egypt.
On 30 September 1915 Private Minnis joined his unit the 12th (Nelson) Company, of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment, at Mudros, Egypt.
Soon after joining his unit Private Minnis left Egypt to serve with the ANZAC (Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) forces at Gallipoli Peninsula, Turkey.
Private Minnis served at Gallipoli until the evacuation of all ANZAC troops, from Gallipoli Peninsula, in late December 1915.
On 27 December 1915 Private Minnis disembarked from the transport ship which brought him out of Gallipoli - at Alexandria, Egypt.
Four months later - on 6 April 1916 - Private Minnis embarked from Port Said, Egypt for war service at France & Belgium.
The following year - on 19 April 1917 - Private Minnis was promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal - in the field at France or Belgium.
On 27 June 1917 Lance Corporal Harry Minnis was awarded the Military Medal (MM) for "Acts of Gallantry in the field on 7 June 1917 at Messines, Belgium".
Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis (MM) continued to serve at France & Belgium until he was killed in action - on 3 December 1917 - in the field, at Ypres, Belgium. He was 27 years of age.
Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis has no known grave at Belgium - but he is commemorated on the Buttes New British Cemetery (New Zealand) Memorial, Polygon Wood, Zonnebeke, West Vlaanderen, Belgium.
Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis is also remembered at his birthplace in New Zealand - on the Ashburton War Memorial (1914-1918) - at Ashburton, South Island, New Zealand.
Lance Corporal Harry Minnis is also remembered on the Kaikoura War Memorial (1914-1918) - at Kaikoura, South Island, New Zealand. (Note: His name is inscribed as T (Tom) Minnis on the name tablet of the Kaikoura War Memorial).
For Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis (MM) full military record refer to New Zealand Online Cenotaph : www.aucklandmuseum.com
Photo Credit: Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis (MM) : 'Auckland Weekly News' (28 February 1918) - from the Auckland Library Heritage Photograph Collection (Auckland, New Zealand).
Photo Credit: Kaikoura War Memorial : Ministry of Culture & Heritage; www.nzhistory.govt.nz
References:
Death of Lance Corporal Harry W. Minnis (MM) at Belgium : Papers Past (National Libary of New Zealand); 'Ashburton Guardian'; Vol XXXVIII; Issue 9174; 19 December 1917.
Jenifer Everett