Roy Houchen

Roy Houchen, service number 3/172a

The young man portrayed  is  Private Roy Houchen of the New Zealand Army Medical Corps.

Roy was born in Wellington on 15 January 1892. In 1914 he was working  as a cabinetmaker for  S. S. Williams in Taranaki Street and  lived with his mother in Constable Street, Newtown.  He attested for service with the NZEF on board the troopship only three  days before embarking with the Main Body on 16 October. He had previous military experience though, as he had served as a part-time volunteer with No. 3 Company of the Garrison Artillery since 5 March 1911. He must have been a patriotic young man, as the rather cursory report of his medical inspection noted that he had an  'N.Z. flag tattoed on Right upper arm.' 

Roy's war service was with the Medical Corps, but was to spend much of his time as a patient himself.  He served for about two months on Gallipoli from late May 1915, until he was evacuated  to Lemnos  with diarrhoea. He was sent on to hospital in Malta, where he spent six weeks before evacuation to England. He was admitted to hospital at Leicester with 'debility' for two weeks in late September, then on to  hospital at Epsom for four weeks. On 24 December 1915 Roy was admitted to hospital with gonorrhoea, and after the 'usual treatment' was reported 'clear' on 14 March 1916. 

 He was sent to France on 26 June 1916 but by 15 August was back in England.  A Medical Board at Etaples on 20 July had classified him as 'C2' for chronic diarrhoea and debility, and he was admitted to the New Zealand Hospital at Walton-on-Thames on 15 August.

Roy was promoted a 'Temporary Corporal' on 20 November, and was at Walton until granted sick leave on 2 March 1917, then was  promoted Sergeant on 15 September. He was reported as 'still attached' to the Walton hospital on 4 May 1918, but on 28 May he 'came under surveillance for Ven. Disease.'  He was sent to the VD section of the New Zealand hospital at Codford, where it was noted that he had been infected with gonorrohea since 31 March but had failed to report it. He was at Codford until 4 July, then back again from 15 to 25 September with diarrohea.

On 15 October, a Medical Board at Codford reviewed his case and reported that Roy was suffering from 'Debility following Chronic Diarrohea'.  The Board attributed his condition to the conditions he had endured on active service at Galllipoli, aggravated by gonorrohea  and  noted that he  'has obviously lost weight - is very debilitated & looks ill - is very thin - [weight] 8 stone 10lbs ...' .   His Medical Officer, Captain Walker of the NZ Medical Corps, recommended that Roy be classified as 'C2, Permanently Unfit'  but the Board decided that he was unfit for 'General Service' for one year,  and assessed his level of disablement at 30% for pension purposes. 

Roy went home to New Zealand, leaving England on 5 November and was discharged from the NZEF at Wellington on 13 February 1919.

In 1921, Roy Houchen married Eileen May Lake, the daughter of Charles Jessen Lake and Jane Kirkland Lake.  The couple lived at 50 Ross Street, Kilbirnie.  In 1927 Eileen gave birth to a daughter.

Roy Houchen was a member of the Grand United Order of Oddfellows, a global fraternal organisation which was established in New Zealand in 1843.  In England, it is claimed that the brotherhood can trace its roots back to the trade guilds of the 12th and 13th centuries, but is now based in the USA and known as the Independent Order of Oddfellows.  The organisation was historically organised by membership to a particular lodge, which also operated a fund to which members contributed, and could then me used to support brethren in their times of need, for example contributing towards the cost of funerals. Membership became less popular throughout the 20th century as governments established public welfare systems, and there was less need for people to contribute to a central fund for times of need. 

However, up until his death Roy Houchen belonged to the Loyal William Bain Branch in Kilbirnie, and the Brethren of Tutanekai Lodge were also  invited in an advertisement  placed in the Evening Post to attend his funeral. Roy Houchen died following illness on 17th July 1934, aged 42.  He was buried on the 19th July at Karori Cemetery in Wellington.  His grave is in the public section in plot 496N.  His wife Eileen had a very sad year in 1934 as her mother passed away just four months after her husband had died.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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