22
January 1919 to 3 July 1974
Captured at the Battle of Sidi Rezegh in North Africa, Ronald emigrated
to New Zealand where his descendants still live
FAR00852
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Emigrated to New Zealand and served in 6th Field
Ambulance RAMC in Greece and Crete and was captured as a Prisoner of War at
Sidi Rezegh. He became a builder in Masterton, near Auckland, New Zealand
Headlines of Ronald Farndale’s life are in brown.
Dates are in red.
Hyperlinks to other pages are in dark blue.
References and citations are in turquoise.
Context and local history are in purple.
Geographical
context is in green.
I am very
grateful to Robyn Boyd and to Geoff Muir who have helped me to tell the story
of Ronald Farndale.
Follow this link to the Farndales of New
Zealand
Wakefield
Ronald Martin Farndale, son of Robert and
Sarah Jane (nee Alcock) Farndale (FAR00606) was born in Stanley, Wakefield (census)
on 22 January 1919 (DR, Letter, BR).
His birth was registered in Wakefield District in the first quarter of 1919 (GRO Vol 9C Page 92).
1921
By 1921
Ronald was two years old and his father was 36, a farmer, and horseman for the
Stanley District Council.
Robert
Farndale, 36, farmer, horseman on the Stanley District Council
Sarah Jane Farndale, 36
Robert Edwin Farndale, 8, born
Stanley
Maurice
Farndale, 6, born Stanley
Ada
Farndale, 4, born Stanley
Ronald
Martin Farndale, 2, born Stanley
Wellington, New Zealand
1936
Ronald emigrated
to New Zealand in 1936. On 30 April 1936 Ronald Farndale, 17, a
farmer, departed from London for Wellington, New Zealand on the Ruahine
of the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited. His last address was Bells Farm
near Skipton. The
SS Ruahine was a passenger and
cargo liner in service from 1916 until 1949. She was refitted in 1926 with
reduced passenger accommodation, and again in 1933 with 220 tourist class
berths.
He farmed at
Morrinsville and Mastamata, Waikato, northeast of
Hamilton.
Greece, Crete and North Africa
1941
62013
Ronald M Farndale served in World War 2 in 6th Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps (“RAMC”)
in Greece and Crete. His military records showed that he was a farmer from Morrinsville, Waikato, New Zealand. 62013 Pte Ronald
Martin Farndale of Mastamata, New Zealand, enlisted
at Morrinsville, a farmer. His next of kin was Mrs S Farndale, Bells Farm,
Thornton in Craven, Skipton, Yorkshire and he appeared on the nominal roll
between 1 April to 30 June 1941. He was part of infantry reinforcements and
served with the Second
New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
He was
almost certainly captured at Sidi Rezegh
in 1941 and was a prisoner of war in Italy for the rest of the war. There is
evidence that they all were working in the New Zealand 6th Brigade Advanced
dressing Station at Belhamed, near Sidi Rezegh, when
they were captured by German forces, and they all stayed together until they
were repatriated.
The Battle of Point
175 was a military engagement of the Western Desert Campaign that took
place during Operation Crusader from 29 November to 1 December 1941. Point 175
is a small rise just south of the Trigh Capuzzo, a
desert track east of Sidi Rezegh and south of Zaafran.
The point was held by Division z.b.V. Afrika, later
the 90th Light Afrika Division. The 2nd New Zealand Division and Infantry tanks
of the 1st Army Tank Brigade captured Point 175 on 23 November, early in
Operation Crusader. The New Zealanders then attacked westwards and made contact
with the Tobruk garrison, which had broken out to meet them. From 29 November
to 1 December, the New Zealanders defended the point and the area to the west
against Axis attempts to sever the link with the Tobruk garrison and regain
control of the local roads. The new 132nd Armoured Division Ariete
re-captured Point 175 late on 29 November. The defenders mistook Italian tanks
and armoured cars for South African reinforcements led by armoured cars. 167
men of the 21st New Zealand Battalion were captured, the Italians apparently
being just as surprised. The 6th New Zealand Brigade suffered many casualties
around Point 175 and eventually retreated to Zaafran.
The 2nd New Zealand Division returned to Egypt to refit, having suffered 4,620
casualties. When the division reassembled, it was sent to Syria to recuperate
and was almost returned to Asia to participate in the Asiatic-Pacific Theater after the Japanese invasion of Malaya on 7/8
December 1941.
4th and
6th New Zealand Field Ambulance at overnight camp, North Africa, 1 October 1942
The 2nd New
Zealand Division began Operation Crusader with 20,000 men, of whom 879 were
killed or died of wounds, 1,699 men were wounded, 2,042 were taken prisoner
(103 prisoners died from all causes), total casualties for the division being
4,620 men.
62013
Ronald M Farndale served in World War 2 in 6th Field
Ambulance RAMC in Greece and Crete. His military
records showed that he was a farmer from Morrinsville, Waikato, New
Zealand. 62013 Pte Ronald Martin Farndale of Mastamata,
New Zealand, enlisted at Morrinsville, a farmer, his next of kin was Mrs S
Farndale, Bells Farm, Thornton in Craven, Skipton, Yorkshire and he appeared on
the nominal roll 1 April to 30 June 1941. He was part of infantry
reinforcements and served with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Ronald was in New Zealand prior to the war as he was farming near Waharoa and embarked from New Zealand.
He was almost
certainly captured at Sidi Rezegh in 1941 and was a prisoner of war in Italy
for the rest of the war (Letter).
Maurice
Muir NZ890 served with NZ 24th Battalion, as Regimental Stretcher Bearer in
24 Battalion and was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 1 December 1941 with Ronald
Farndale. Maurice was awarded the Military Medal for protecting his Regimental
Aid Post from friendly fire. They were transported by German Ship from Tripoli
to Naples, then to Capua (Campo PG 66). In March 1943, the PGN 66 camp in Capua
was described as a sorting camp with a capacity of 200 places for senior
officers and 6,000 for non-commissioned officers and troops. It was made up
partly of barracks and partly of tents. It began operating in April 1941. There
is evidence of the ill
treatment of prisoners there.
Camp 59, Servigliano
They were transported to Servigliano (Campo PG59), then to Chiavari (Campo PG52).
Camp 52,
Chiavari, Italy, 1942. Photograph taken by W A Weakley. Note on back reads All
beds and gear out for a search. Note where bed slats have been taken off to
provide fuel for brewing tea.
Maurice Muir was later transferred to Lucca Hospital
(PG202) in September of 1942, and repatriated to the UK in April 1943
along with 400 or so British and 14
other New Zealanders who had relatives in the UK. Ronald Farndale was with
Maurice Muir.
1943
Ronald M
Farndale, 24, then in the Army, departed from Liverpool on 19 June 1943 for
Auckland, New Zealand on the Sydney Star of the Blue Star Line. His
address was shown as c/o New Zealand Army HQ, 415 Strand, London WC2.
The
Weekly News, 16 June 1943: NEW ZEALANDERS REPATRIATED: PRISONERS OF WAR ARRIVE IN
ENGLAND AFTER INTERNMENT IN ITALY. Left: the Bishop of Walaps,
Right Reverend G V Gerard, senior chaplain with the New Zealand Expeditionary
force before being taken prisoner, attends the Anzac day service in London.
Right: Mr W G Jordan, High Commissioner visits the repatriated party. From left
back row: J H Barr, Whakatane; C J Cousins, Ohai; W P Kane, Lyttelton; R M
Farndale, Waharoa; P F Griffin, Invercargill; L W
Jones, Palmerston; J M Malcolm, Auckland; F Milne, Masterton; Padre L Groves,
Dunedin; front row: J McDermott, Wellington; M Muir, Dannevirke; Bishop
Gerard, Napier; Mr W J Jordan, High Commissioner; Colonel W Foot; Brigadier R S
Park; P W Purcell, Christchurch; A T Ryburn, Eltham; E J White, Otautau.
I have received further information from Geoff Muir in August 2019,
who has researched his father’s (Maurice Muir) World War 2 history.
Maurice
Muir NZ890 served with NZ 24th Battalion, and was captured at Sidi Rezegh on
1st December 1941. They were transported by German Ship from Tripoli to Naples,
then to Capua PG66, on to Servigliano PG59, then to
Chiavari PG52. Maurice Muir was transferred to Lucca Hospital PG202 in
September of 42, and repatriated to the UK in April of 43 along with
400 or so British and 14 other New Zealanders who had relatives in the
UK. (Email
Geoff Muir, 3 August 2019)
Ronald Farndale
was with Maurice Muir, as can be seen in the photograph above.
There is evidence
that they all were working in the New Zealand 6th Brigade Advanced dressing
Station at Belhamed, near Sidi Rezegh, when they were
captured by German forces, and they all stayed together until they were
repatriated.
Ronald Martin
Farndale’s public WW2 record can be found here. His NOK is his mother Mrs. S.
Farndale, Bells Farm, Thornton-in-Craven-Skipton, Yorks., England. https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/123761?n=farndale&ordinal=0&from=%2Fwar-memorial%2Fonline-cenotaph%2Fsearch
Prisoners of
War of Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, repatriated Medically Unfit
Ronald appears on a War Memorial which seems to have been to those who
served in WW2, rather than a list of those killed in action.
Ronald Martin Farndale, 24, then in the Army, departed from Liverpool on
19 June 1943 for Auckland, New Zealand on the Sydney Star of the Blue Star
Line. His address was shown as c/o New Zealand Army HQ, 415 Strand, London WC2.
Masterton, New Zealand
He would have
been returned to NZ by the Army after the war. He was repatriated to UK in
1943. But he must have been in New Zealand after the War as his family were
born there.
He became a
builder in Masterton, near Auckland, New Zealand. The
nearest major city to Masterton is the capital Wellington.
1945
Ronald M
Farndale, married Margaret Madge Maxted (born 1906) on 28 July 1945 in Auckland
New Zealand (email
from Robyn). Margaret Madge Maxted, the daughter of Richard Philip and
Louisa Jane Maxted was born on 19 July 1906.
1946
Maxwell Farndale
(FAR01006)
was born on 21 May 1946 in New Zealand.
In the 1946 Electoral Roll, Ronald Martin Farndale, a
carpenter, lived at 81a Hillsborough Road, Roskill, Auckland with his wife
Margaret Madge Farndale.
1954
In the 1954 Electoral Roll, Ronald Martin Farndale, a
carpenter, lived at 99 Banister Street, Hawkes Bay, Wellington.
1956
Margaret died of
a brain tumour on 24 November 1957 (Find a Grave
Index). She is buried at Archer Street Cemetery, Masterton, where Ronald
was later buried.
1959
Ronald Martin
Farndale, married Doris Elaine Wilkin in 1959 in New Zealand.
These pictures
have kindly been provided by Robyn, their
daughter.
1960
Bruce Matthew
Farndale (FAR01102A)
was born in 1960 (Email from Robyn)
1962
Wendy Jane
Farndale (FAR01114A)
was born in 1962 (Email from Robyn)
1963
1963
Electoral Roll – lived at 24A Fleet Street,
Wairarapa, New Zealand, a carpenter with Doris Elaine Farndale
1965
James Roald
Farndale (FAR01134A)
was born and died on 8 December 1965 (Email from
Robyn)
1967
Lynda Rose
Farndale (FAR01127A)
was born in or about 1967 and sadly passed away on 13 January 1967 in infancy (Email from Robyn)
1970
Donna Ruth
Farndale (FAR01173A)
was born in 1970 (Email from Robyn)
1972
Robyn Joye
Farndale, born 1972 (FAR01191A)
(Email from Robyn)
1972
Electoral Roll – lived at 24A Fleet Street,
Wairarapa, New Zealand, a carpenter with Doris Elaine Farndale
His son Maxwell
Farndale, a clerk, with Maxwell’s wife Gail Ann Farndale, lived at 3 Casel
Street, Wairarapa.
Ronald Farndale
1974
Ronald Martin
Farndale, born 22 January 1919 died on 3 July 1974 at the age of 55 at
Masterton District, Wellington. He is buried at Row 13 (ex
servicemen), Archer Street Cemetery.
Inscription:
He is also commemorated
on a public memorial in Waharoa
District, Matamata County for his service during the Second World War: R
M Farndale; 62103, 2nd NZEF, Pte; NZ Medical Corps; Died 3.7.1974
1980
Ronald’s widow, Doris Elaine, later
married Jack Cottle in about 1980 and Jack passed away in about 2014. Doris and
Jack had no children.