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Portrait of Private Arthur Chote, service number 52952, 27th Reinforcements, NZEF.
The man shown here is Private Arthur Chote, service number 52952. Arthur was born in Wellington on 1 September 1886, and when he enlisted at Woodville on 21 March 1917 was a self-employed dairy farmer.
He entered training camp on 12 April 1917, joining 'B' Company of the 28th Reinforcements. On 28 April he was transferred to 'F' Company of the 27th Reinforcements and embarked with them from Wellington on 16 July.
Arthur disembarked at Liverpool on 16 September and marched into Sling Camp the same day. He trained with the Canterbury Infantry Regiment's 4th Reserve Battalion, was in hospital at Tidworth from 14 to 22 November, when he returned to Sling. He was sent to Etaples in France on 5 December, and commenced active service with the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment on 5 January. Arthur was still on the strength of this unit on 28 August - a remarkable achievement given the intense fighting the Battalion was involved in during those months.
He went on leave to the United Kingdom on 6 November 1918 and was back with his unit on 26 November. He had a spell of occupation duty with the Battalion in Germany, and more leave in the United Kingdom in February 1919.
Arthur embarked for the return voyage to New Zealand on 10 May 1919 and was discharged on 21 July 1919.
Arthur returned to farming, in the Dannevirke area. He never married, and in November 1938, after some years of failing health, he was found dead on his farm at Kiritaki "in circumstances pointing to heart trouble". He is buried in the Mangatera cemetery, near Dannevirke.