James Forsyth (1890 - 1966)

Born 31 Oct 1890 in Coutts Island, Canterbury, New Zealand

Ancestors

Husband of Marjorie Sylvia (Whitehead) Forsyth — married 15 May 1919 in Tamworth, Staffordshire, England, United Kingdom

Descendants

Died 19 Feb 1966 at age 75 in Morrinsville, New Zealand

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kerryn Forsyth [send private message]

Biography

James Forsyth (known as Jimmy) was born on the 31st of October 1890 at Coutts Island, Kaiapoi, New Zealand. He was the youngest son and second youngest child of Robert Forsyth and Jessie nee Farquhar. When James enlisted to the Auckland Mounted Rifles for service in WW1 on the 6th of September 1915 he named next of kin as his mother Mrs J Forsyth of Waitoa. This was changed after his marriage on the 15th of May 1919 to Marjorie Sylvia Whitehead (known as Sylvia). They had met at the Sutton Coldfield hospital where James spent some time. Sylvia's address then was 40 Lower Queen Street, Sutton Coldfield.

James was five feet seven and a half inches tall and weighed 146 pounds. His hair colour was dark auburn, eyes blue, complexion fair.

He disembarked on the Scottish built ship HMNZT S.S. Dalmore for Suez in February 1916 and served a total of 4 years and 44 days mostly with the New Zealand Field Artillery in the Egyptian and Western European theatres of war. During that time, between August 1917 and January 1918, he received four promotions from Soldier to Sergeant.

Between January and July 1918 James was in and out of different hospitals for both sickness and an injury which looks to be a fractured right fibula.

James returned to Wellington from Plymouth on the S.S. Tainui and received his discharge on the 19th of October 1919. https://ancestorchaser.blogspot.com/2018/09/sergeant-james-forsyth-ww1-new-zealand.html by Kerryn Taylor - Forsyth-576

Sources

• Family knowledge,
• New Zealand BDM birth record 1890/15438