COBB, Arthur Robert
Born 25 May 1884; died 17 November 1918; buried 18 November 1918
Regimental number 82890
A migrant from Somerset, shepherd Arthur COBB enlisted for war service in 1918 but caught influenza and died while in training and never served overseas. He was buried in the Soldiers' Section of Karori Cemetery.
Arthur had always worked on the land. Born and baptised in 1884, he was the first child of George and Agnes Cobb, and was followed by three sisters. In the 1891 English census, his father, a dairy farmer, was also the employer of a live-in ‘agricultural servant’, 16-year-old John Thomas. By the time of the next census, in 1901, Arthur, then 16 or 17 himself, had taken his place as the farm’s agricultural worker.
Arthur left England in his early twenties, travelling from Liverpool on the Oswestry Grange. Like many on the passenger list he was described as a farmer, although perhaps more accurately they were farm workers, occupations keenly sought in the new country. Despite landing in Wellington, Arthur did not remain there for long, instead heading up to the northern end of Hawkes Bay. In 1911, he was a wagon driver at Putorino, a small settlement north of Tutira on the road to Wairoa. By 1914, he was still a wagon driver, but now living north of Wairoa at Nuhaka. Many farms in the area had dairy cows, and each farmer had to arrange transport of his cans of cream or milk to the dairy factory at Nuhaka village. In the days before well-formed roads suitable for motor transport, people with Arthur’s skills would have been in great demand.
In November 1914, shortly after the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force sailed for Egypt, Arthur married Annie O’SHEA, also known as Nancy. Born in Wanganui, she was the daughter of Cornelius and Julia O’Shea. In November 1915, Nancy had their first child, a son. Like Arthur’s father he was named George. At the beginning of 1918, they had a second child, Walter, who died aged 14 days.
During 1917, in the wake of the Military Service Act 1916 (which gave the government authority to call up any man between 20 and 45 for military service), Arthur enlisted, and his name appeared in the Second Division of the Reserve. That list was compiled between August and October 1917. Reservists were classified according to their number of children. Monthly ballots were held from late 1916, with first selections of men married without children. When those potential recruits were exhausted, attention turned to the ‘B’ classification men – those like Arthur married with one child. The first ballot for this group from 13 to 17 April 1918 saw 9769 men chosen, Arthur being one of them.
The call to go to camp came towards the middle of 1918. On 20 May, Arthur arrived at Trentham where he took his oath of allegiance and underwent the standard medical examination. The ballot record and the attestation form recorded Arthur’s occupation as ‘shepherd’. At the time of the ballot he was working in Tolaga Bay, but subsequently he moved a little south to Te Karaka, inland from Gisborne along the path of the Waipāoa River.
Although classified as unfit in an earlier medical examination, this new examination saw him classed as ‘fit for active service beyond the seas’. His attestation record also said: ‘The recruit expressed a preference to enlist for Mounted’. Perhaps he considered his experience as a wagon driver would support this request. If his work as a shepherd was on horseback, that would be an additional recommendation. Arthur’s love of horses was perhaps also signalled by the two tattoos on his right arm recorded as distinguishing marks by the medical board: a horse shoe and a horse’s head.
Whether anything came of this request is not evident from the file. He was still in training in November when he went on leave. Nancy had moved south with him and was then living near the camp in the Hutt Valley. Whether in camp or on leave, he caught influenza and died on 17 November 1918 at home with Nancy and George close by. Records of his birth do not line up, but he was aged either 33 or 34, though it is recorded on his headstone as 30.
Arthur was buried in the Soldiers’ Section at Karori Cemetery.
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: SOLDIERS
Plot 36 C
Born 25 May 1884; died 17 November 1918; buried 18 November 1918
Regimental number 82890
A migrant from Somerset, shepherd Arthur COBB enlisted for war service in 1918 but caught influenza and died while in training and never served overseas. He was buried in the Soldiers' Section of Karori Cemetery.
Arthur had always worked on the land. Born and baptised in 1884, he was the first child of George and Agnes Cobb, and was followed by three sisters. In the 1891 English census, his father, a dairy farmer, was also the employer of a live-in ‘agricultural servant’, 16-year-old John Thomas. By the time of the next census, in 1901, Arthur, then 16 or 17 himself, had taken his place as the farm’s agricultural worker.
Arthur left England in his early twenties, travelling from Liverpool on the Oswestry Grange. Like many on the passenger list he was described as a farmer, although perhaps more accurately they were farm workers, occupations keenly sought in the new country. Despite landing in Wellington, Arthur did not remain there for long, instead heading up to the northern end of Hawkes Bay. In 1911, he was a wagon driver at Putorino, a small settlement north of Tutira on the road to Wairoa. By 1914, he was still a wagon driver, but now living north of Wairoa at Nuhaka. Many farms in the area had dairy cows, and each farmer had to arrange transport of his cans of cream or milk to the dairy factory at Nuhaka village. In the days before well-formed roads suitable for motor transport, people with Arthur’s skills would have been in great demand.
In November 1914, shortly after the main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force sailed for Egypt, Arthur married Annie O’SHEA, also known as Nancy. Born in Wanganui, she was the daughter of Cornelius and Julia O’Shea. In November 1915, Nancy had their first child, a son. Like Arthur’s father he was named George. At the beginning of 1918, they had a second child, Walter, who died aged 14 days.
During 1917, in the wake of the Military Service Act 1916 (which gave the government authority to call up any man between 20 and 45 for military service), Arthur enlisted, and his name appeared in the Second Division of the Reserve. That list was compiled between August and October 1917. Reservists were classified according to their number of children. Monthly ballots were held from late 1916, with first selections of men married without children. When those potential recruits were exhausted, attention turned to the ‘B’ classification men – those like Arthur married with one child. The first ballot for this group from 13 to 17 April 1918 saw 9769 men chosen, Arthur being one of them.
The call to go to camp came towards the middle of 1918. On 20 May, Arthur arrived at Trentham where he took his oath of allegiance and underwent the standard medical examination. The ballot record and the attestation form recorded Arthur’s occupation as ‘shepherd’. At the time of the ballot he was working in Tolaga Bay, but subsequently he moved a little south to Te Karaka, inland from Gisborne along the path of the Waipāoa River.
Although classified as unfit in an earlier medical examination, this new examination saw him classed as ‘fit for active service beyond the seas’. His attestation record also said: ‘The recruit expressed a preference to enlist for Mounted’. Perhaps he considered his experience as a wagon driver would support this request. If his work as a shepherd was on horseback, that would be an additional recommendation. Arthur’s love of horses was perhaps also signalled by the two tattoos on his right arm recorded as distinguishing marks by the medical board: a horse shoe and a horse’s head.
Whether anything came of this request is not evident from the file. He was still in training in November when he went on leave. Nancy had moved south with him and was then living near the camp in the Hutt Valley. Whether in camp or on leave, he caught influenza and died on 17 November 1918 at home with Nancy and George close by. Records of his birth do not line up, but he was aged either 33 or 34, though it is recorded on his headstone as 30.
Arthur was buried in the Soldiers’ Section at Karori Cemetery.
Researched and written by Max Kerr
Grave Information:
Section: SOLDIERS
Plot 36 C