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Rifleman Thomas Hogg
Description
TitleRifleman Thomas HoggSummaryA soldier in World War One.DescriptionThomas was born in Cork, Ireland on 18 June 1884. He nominated as his next of kin Mrs Annie Cain of Dromore, identifying her as “sister” however she was not a relation but was a nursing sister. His closest next of kin was his sister Mrs R McKittrick in New South Wales.
Before enlisting he was working as a ploughman for Frank Chamberlain. He was 5ft 5in tall with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He enlisted on 22 August 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked with them on board the Athenic, from Wellington on 30 December 1916. They arrived in Devonport and Sling Camp on 3 March 1917. He was attached to the 15th Company, 3rd Battalion Auckland Infantry at Codford on 15 April and left for France on 28th May. He was wounded in action, suffering a gunshot wound to his left leg on 14 July. He was taken up by the Field Ambulance and sent on to the No.3 Canadian General hospital at Boulogne. The No.3 Canadian General Hospital was no ordinary hospital, it was run by the soldier, poet and physician Lt. Colonel John McCrae best known for writing the famous war memorial poem 'In Flanders Fields'. He was then sent to the Convalescent Depot near the sea at Ecault near Boulogne then to Trouville. He returned to Base Depot at Etaples on 31 August 1917 and then back to the field on 11th October joining 2nd Battalion Auckland Infantry. He was sent on leave to England on 12 February 1918 returning on 3 March 1918. He was wounded in action on 27 March. The New Zealand Division was tasked that day with holding up the advance of the German troops towards Amiens, along the Ancre Valley. The New Zealand troops faced four counter attacks that day. He died of his wounds and was buried near well he fell, recorded as “isolated grave west side of sugar factory near dug outs”. After the war his body was recovered and reburied in the Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme. In New Zealand Thomas is remembered on the Irwell Plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial and the Dunsandel War Memorial.
Colincamps is a village 11 kilometres north of Albert. Colincamps and "Euston", a road junction a little east of the village, were within the Allied lines before the Somme offensive of July 1916. The cemetery was started as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July, but after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 it was scarcely used. It was briefly in German hands towards the end of March 1918, when it marked the limit of the German advance, but the line was held and pushed forward by the New Zealand Division allowing the cemetery to be used again for burials in April and May 1918. The cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on 1 July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on 5 April 1918. The whole of Plot I, except five graves in the last row, represents the original cemetery of 501 graves. After the Armistice, more than 750 graves were brought in from small cemeteries in the neighbouring communes and the battlefields. The cemetery now contains 1,293 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 170 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 32 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to two soldiers whose graves in nearby small cemeteries were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameThomasLast NameHoggFamilySingleDate of Birth18 June 1884Place of BirthCork, IrelandDate of Death27 March 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathDied of wounds
Before enlisting he was working as a ploughman for Frank Chamberlain. He was 5ft 5in tall with a fair complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. He enlisted on 22 August 1916 and was assigned to the New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reinforcements, G Company. He embarked with them on board the Athenic, from Wellington on 30 December 1916. They arrived in Devonport and Sling Camp on 3 March 1917. He was attached to the 15th Company, 3rd Battalion Auckland Infantry at Codford on 15 April and left for France on 28th May. He was wounded in action, suffering a gunshot wound to his left leg on 14 July. He was taken up by the Field Ambulance and sent on to the No.3 Canadian General hospital at Boulogne. The No.3 Canadian General Hospital was no ordinary hospital, it was run by the soldier, poet and physician Lt. Colonel John McCrae best known for writing the famous war memorial poem 'In Flanders Fields'. He was then sent to the Convalescent Depot near the sea at Ecault near Boulogne then to Trouville. He returned to Base Depot at Etaples on 31 August 1917 and then back to the field on 11th October joining 2nd Battalion Auckland Infantry. He was sent on leave to England on 12 February 1918 returning on 3 March 1918. He was wounded in action on 27 March. The New Zealand Division was tasked that day with holding up the advance of the German troops towards Amiens, along the Ancre Valley. The New Zealand troops faced four counter attacks that day. He died of his wounds and was buried near well he fell, recorded as “isolated grave west side of sugar factory near dug outs”. After the war his body was recovered and reburied in the Euston Road Cemetery, Colincamps, Somme. In New Zealand Thomas is remembered on the Irwell Plaque of the Ellesmere County War Memorial and the Dunsandel War Memorial.
Colincamps is a village 11 kilometres north of Albert. Colincamps and "Euston", a road junction a little east of the village, were within the Allied lines before the Somme offensive of July 1916. The cemetery was started as a front line burial ground during and after the unsuccessful attack on Serre on 1 July, but after the German withdrawal to the Hindenburg Line in March 1917 it was scarcely used. It was briefly in German hands towards the end of March 1918, when it marked the limit of the German advance, but the line was held and pushed forward by the New Zealand Division allowing the cemetery to be used again for burials in April and May 1918. The cemetery is particularly associated with three dates and engagements; the attack on Serre on 1 July 1916; the capture of Beaumont-Hamel on 13 November 1916; and the German attack on the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade trenches before Colincamps on 5 April 1918. The whole of Plot I, except five graves in the last row, represents the original cemetery of 501 graves. After the Armistice, more than 750 graves were brought in from small cemeteries in the neighbouring communes and the battlefields. The cemetery now contains 1,293 Commonwealth burials and commemorations of the First World War. 170 of the burials are unidentified but there are special memorials to 32 casualties known or believed to be buried among them, and to two soldiers whose graves in nearby small cemeteries were destroyed in later battles. The cemetery was designed by Sir Reginald Blomfield.First NameThomasLast NameHoggFamilySingleDate of Birth18 June 1884Place of BirthCork, IrelandDate of Death27 March 1918Place of DeathFranceCause of DeathDied of wounds
Connections
CollectionSoldiers of Selwyn World War OneImageDunsandel War MemorialLeeston and Ellesmere County War MemorialMore InformationAuckland War Memorial Cenotaph
Military Service
Memorial or CemeteryEuston Road CemeteryDunsandel War Memorial Ellesmere County War MemorialOccupation before EnlistingPloughmanRegiment or ServiceNew Zealand Rifle BrigadeEnlistment Details22nd August 1916Service Number30948Embarkation30th December 1916Place of EmbarkationWellingtonTransportAthenicCountryNew Zealand
Attribution
Researched ByL. M. Seaton
Rifleman Thomas Hogg. Selwyn Stories, accessed 16/12/2025, https://selwynstories.selwynlibraries.co.nz/nodes/view/244
