Motor Car Corner Cemetery
Roll of Honour
A - J
16740 Private
Victor Harold Adams
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
17th July 1917, aged 20.
Row D. 18.
Son of Alfred Francis Adams and Annie Adams, of Napier, New Zealand.
Victor Harold Adams
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
17th July 1917, aged 20.
Row D. 18.
Son of Alfred Francis Adams and Annie Adams, of Napier, New Zealand.
42455 Private
Walter Peter Aitken
3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th August 1917, aged 27.
Row B. 22.
Son of John and Isabella Aitken; husband of Gladys Aitken, of 22, Brighton St., Roslyn, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Walter Peter Aitken
3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th August 1917, aged 27.
Row B. 22.
Son of John and Isabella Aitken; husband of Gladys Aitken, of 22, Brighton St., Roslyn, Dunedin, New Zealand.
33500 Private
Thomas Andrews
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 39.
Row A. 17.
Son of James and Marian Andrews, of Fingal, Tasmania.
Thomas Andrews
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 39.
Row A. 17.
Son of James and Marian Andrews, of Fingal, Tasmania.
36941 Private
John Tempest Beech
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
10th August 1917.
Row D. 21.
Son of William and Sarah Sophia Beech, of Bolton, England.
John Tempest Beech
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
10th August 1917.
Row D. 21.
Son of William and Sarah Sophia Beech, of Bolton, England.
30899 Private
Fred Bennett
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 31.
Row B. 11.
Son of Fred and Caroline Bennett, of Littlehampton, Sussex, England.
Fred Bennett
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 31.
Row B. 11.
Son of Fred and Caroline Bennett, of Littlehampton, Sussex, England.
22683 Private
William Richard Higgs Bowden
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
17th June 1917.
Row C. 4.
William Richard Higgs Bowden
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
17th June 1917.
Row C. 4.
18091 Private
John Brown
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row D. 14.
John Brown
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row D. 14.
10074 Private
Peter Keith Buchanan
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th June 1917, aged 52.
Row D. 17.
Son of David and Agnes Buchanan, of Scotland; husband of Laura J. Buchanan, of Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand.
Peter Keith Buchanan
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th June 1917, aged 52.
Row D. 17.
Son of David and Agnes Buchanan, of Scotland; husband of Laura J. Buchanan, of Kelvin Grove, Palmerston North, Wellington, New Zealand.
14071 Private
Jack Cairns
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 1.
Jack Cairns
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 1.
32811 Private
Gordon Caldwell
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
11th June 1917.
Row A. 8.
Son of James and Margaret Caldwell, of Hampden, New Zealand.
Gordon Caldwell
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
11th June 1917.
Row A. 8.
Son of James and Margaret Caldwell, of Hampden, New Zealand.
34471 Private
William Carson
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
2nd July 1917, aged 25.
Row D. 2.
Son of David and Margaret Carson, of Otahuhu, New Zealand.
William Carson
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
2nd July 1917, aged 25.
Row D. 2.
Son of David and Margaret Carson, of Otahuhu, New Zealand.
6/2099 Second Lieutenant
Ernest Cornford Stanford
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
7th July 1917, aged 37.
Row C. 16.
Son of Arthur and Miriam Cornford, of Maidstone, England.
Ernest Cornford Stanford
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
7th July 1917, aged 37.
Row C. 16.
Son of Arthur and Miriam Cornford, of Maidstone, England.
6/1822 Private
Lewis Joseph Coumbe
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 2.
Lewis Joseph Coumbe
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 2.
12/3287 Corporal
John Alexander Cowley
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
15th August 1918, aged 26.
Row A. 26.
Son of William and Lydia Cowley, of Auckland, New Zealand.
John Alexander Cowley
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
15th August 1918, aged 26.
Row A. 26.
Son of William and Lydia Cowley, of Auckland, New Zealand.
12/2678 Private
David Glover Craig
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row B. 13.
David Glover Craig
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row B. 13.
36567 Private
Patrick Stanislaus Curran
3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
25th June 1917, aged 26.
Row C. 11.
Son of Patrick and Margaret Curran, of Milton, New Zealand.
Patrick Stanislaus Curran
3rd Bn. Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
25th June 1917, aged 26.
Row C. 11.
Son of Patrick and Margaret Curran, of Milton, New Zealand.
Captain
William Allan Forsyth, Mentioned in Despatches
79th Sqdn. Royal Air Force and 56th Bde. Royal Field Artillery
27th June 1918, aged 23.
Row C. 28.
Son of John and Mary H. Forsyth, of 8, Panmure Place, Montrose.
William Allan Forsyth, Mentioned in Despatches
79th Sqdn. Royal Air Force and 56th Bde. Royal Field Artillery
27th June 1918, aged 23.
Row C. 28.
Son of John and Mary H. Forsyth, of 8, Panmure Place, Montrose.
25694 Private
Joseph Gray
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
10th July 1917, aged 30.
Row B. 19.
Son of Alexander and Mary Ann Gray, of Scotland; husband of Dulcie Jane Gray, of 21, Perth St., Richmond, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Joseph Gray
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
10th July 1917, aged 30.
Row B. 19.
Son of Alexander and Mary Ann Gray, of Scotland; husband of Dulcie Jane Gray, of 21, Perth St., Richmond, Christchurch, New Zealand.
12/2308 Private
Jack Green
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row B. 15.
Jack Green
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row B. 15.
34364 Private
James Johnstone Halliday
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
2nd July 1917, aged 37.
Row D. 3.
Son of William and Isabella Halliday, of Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
James Johnstone Halliday
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
2nd July 1917, aged 37.
Row D. 3.
Son of William and Isabella Halliday, of Lochmaben, Dumfriesshire, Scotland.
30947 Private
Charles Patrick Hamill
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 20.
Row B. 14.
Son of James and Margaret Hamill, of Wellington, New Zealand.
Charles Patrick Hamill
3rd Bn. Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917, aged 20.
Row B. 14.
Son of James and Margaret Hamill, of Wellington, New Zealand.
6/3038 Private
Harold Herring
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 3.
Harold Herring
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row B. 3.
39534 Private
Allan Holz
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row A. 15.
Son of the late Julius and Bertha Holz, of Wellington, New Zealand.
Allan Holz
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row A. 15.
Son of the late Julius and Bertha Holz, of Wellington, New Zealand.
39535 Private
Ernest John Julius Holz
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row A. 16.
Son of the late Julius and Bertha Holz, of Wellington, New Zealand.
Ernest John Julius Holz
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
13th June 1917.
Row A. 16.
Son of the late Julius and Bertha Holz, of Wellington, New Zealand.
Headstone image © Geerhard Joos
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Headstone image © Geerhard Joos
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Ernest John Julius Holz, No. 39535, 3rd Wellington Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade and Allan Paul Holz, No. 39534, 3rd Wellington Battalion, 4th Infantry Brigade, killed in action together, 13 June 1917.
Born in Wellington in 1879 and 1891 respectively, Ernest and Allan were among the eight surviving children of Bertha and Julius Holz, a German immigrant who had become a naturalised British subject in 1884. Julius Holz died in 1915. In October 1916, Allan, Ernest and their brother William enlisted as privates in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Ernest was 37 years old and working as a labourer, while 25-year-old Allan was working as a fitter. When they signed up both claimed to be younger – Ernest 32 and Allan 23. While both brothers had grey eyes and brown hair, Ernest was the shorter of the two and had a bird tattooed on his left arm.
The three Holz brothers were posted to the 3rd Wellington Battalion and remained together for the duration of their service. After training at Featherston and Trentham they left New Zealand in January 1917 as part of the 21st Reinforcements. On arrival in England the brothers underwent a month of further training at Sling and Codford. They were sent to France in late May 1917.
Two weeks later the three brothers were preparing to join the fighting in Belgium, where the Allies had captured Messines Ridge from German forces the previous week. In the early hours of 13 June 1917, a German shell landed at Pont-de-Nieppe, hitting a room in which the brothers were asleep in their billet. The explosion killed Ernest and Allan, while William suffered severe wounds to his abdomen, wrist, hip and foot.
Thirty-year-old William was evacuated to England, but the severity of his wounds meant his war service was over. Sent back to New Zealand in July 1917 aboard the hospital ship Marama, he married two years later and died in Nelson in 1959. His brothers Ernest and Allan were buried side by side in Motor Car Corner Cemetery in Belgium. Back in New Zealand, Defence Minister Sir James Allen broke the news to their mother on a personal visit to her Wellington home. Contemporary newspapers recorded the poignant event:
A notable example of the specially heavy afflictions which the war is bestowing on some New Zealand homes was elicited from a casualty cablegram received in the Base Records office on Sunday .. Three sons of Mrs Holz, a widow residing in Berhampore, left with the 21st Reinforcements, and of these two were killed and one wounded on June 13th, all being included in the same cable message. The facts of the case were reported to the Minister of Defence by the Director of Base Records (Major Norton Francis), and Sir James Allen at once arranged a joint visit to the bereaved mother with a view to breaking the news as gently as possible. He also cabled for fullest particulars in regard to the wounded son. These three lads achieved a fine record in defence of their King and Country.
On the first anniversary of her sons' deaths in 1918, Bertha placed a memorial notice in the Evening Post that expressed her continued grief:
In ever present and dear memory of the greatly loved ones, Ernest and Allan Holz, who fell in France on the 13th June, 1917. Dearest, dearest, ever of thee. They were loving and faithful in their lives, and in death they were not divided
36866 Private
Robert Hope
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th June 1917.
Row B. 10.
Robert Hope
3rd Bn. Wellington Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
14th June 1917.
Row B. 10.
7/1079 Private
John Norman Howard
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row C. 15.
John Norman Howard
2nd Bn. Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F.
6th July 1917.
Row C. 15.
32595 Private
Irvine Clyne Jamieson
No. 4 Coy. New Zealand Machine Gun Corps
22nd July 1917, aged 22.
Row B. 21.
Irvine Clyne Jamieson
No. 4 Coy. New Zealand Machine Gun Corps
22nd July 1917, aged 22.
Row B. 21.
