Welcome to Military Service
Military Service is dedicated to all the wider Morgan family who served our country during war time and peace, with spotlight stories on individuals. Morgan's have served in nearly every major conflict since (and including) the New Zealand Wars.
Dad was very proud of his family heritage and was equally proud of the contribution, service, and sacrifice the Morgan family made over two world wars and other conflicts.
He carried a copy of his Morgan “Role of Honour” with him to every ANZAC Day dawn service to ensure he did not forget anyone in remembrance. There were 16 names on this list including three who gave the ultimate sacrifice.
On 25 April 2021, the last ANZAC Day dawn service that he attended, dad handed me a folded piece of paper - no words were exchanged. A bit confused I placed it in my pocket. Later when I got home, I opened what he had given me. It was his copy of the Morgan “Role of Honour”.
Now that he has passed, it is clear to me the unspoken message he was sending. He was handing down the responsibility of keeping their memories alive.
I am attempting to do this now – using records that dad had collected as a starting point. I have come across new information and insights into our family’s military service, and have also endeavored to provide some context surrounding the conflicts and theatres (of war) they served in. There is now over 40 names on this list.
As it was to dad, and as it is now to me, we place great importance on ensuring their memories are never forgotten. It is hoped this work do our relatives justice in this regard.
"They say you die twice.
The first time when you draw your last breath, the second, sometime later, when your name is spoken for the last time."
Lest We Forget
Sacrifice
Morgan's Killed In Action
Morgan Roll of Honour
No | Surname | First Name(s) | Regiment/Unit | Rank | Theatre of Operation | Comments | Campaign |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
442824 | PAYNE | Leonard William (Len) | Royal Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy | Petty Officer | Atlantic, Pacific & Eastern Fleets | At Tokyo Bay for Japanese surrender | World War 2 |
13/3096 | PERCIVAL | Lawrence Arthur | Auckland Mounted Rifles – 10th Reinforcements | Trooper | Egypt 1916-1917 | Discharged medically unfit (illness) | World War 1 |
24688 | PERCIVAL | Reginald Fred | 22nd Specialist Company – Signals Section (1st Otago Infantry Battalion) | Corporal | Europe 1916-1918 | Wounded & invalided home | World War 1 |
86504 | PERCIVAL | Stanley John | 46th Reinforcements – C Company | Private | Did not serve overseas | War ended before being posted overseas | World War 1 |
24/1173 | PRICE | William Alfred | 2nd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade – D Company | Rifleman | Egypt 1915-1916; Europe 1916-1918 | Served in Europe via Egypt | World War 1 |
13/3130 | ROACHE | William Michael (Billy) | NZ Machine Gun Battalion (1st Battalion Otago Infantry Regiment) | Sergeant | Europe 1916-1918 | Military Medal (MM) for gallantry , France | World War 1 |
61389 | ROW | George Caird | Royal New Zealand Artillery - 5th Field Regiment | Warrant Officer - 2nd Class | North Africa, Italy | Montgomery's Eighth Army (Africa), Cassino (Italy) | World War 2 |
33772 | SCARLETT | Norman William | 2nd New Zealand Infantry Brigade, 2 Canterbury Infantry Battalion (21st Reinforcements) | Private | Europe 1916-1917 | Killed at Ypres (Belgium) | World War 1 |
10/259 | STEVENSON | William Alexander | Wellington Infantry Battalion | Private | Egypt 1914-1915 | Gallipoli, wounded & invalided home | World War 1 |
20449 | SYMES | Albert Edward Thorley | 2nd Battalion Wellington Infantry Regiment | Private | Europe 1916-1918 | Invalided home | World War 1 |
17/196 | SYMES | Oscar John | Veterinary Corps – Second Reinforcements | Staff Sergeant | Egypt and Europe 1914-1919 | Believed to have been gassed in France | World War 1 |
7/1905 | SYMES | William Francis Edgar | Canterbury Mounted Rifles 10th Squadron (8th Reinforcements) | Trooper | Egypt 1915-1917 | Wounded in action, invalided home | World War 1 |
Biographies
Click on the links to read about the stories of our relatives military service.
All endeavors are made to gather correct information, however, often reliance is made from historic and official records which can contain inaccuracies.
PLEASE CONTACT ME IF THERE IS AN ERROR OR IF YOU HAVE NEW INFORMATION.