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Richard Arthur Williamson, service number 46155
This portrait shows Lance- Corporal Richard Arthur Williamson, of the 25th Reinforcements, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
Richard was born at Taita, in the Hutt Valley, where his parents, Emma and Alexander Watt (the headmaster of Taita School) lived, on 5 August 1896. A member of the extended Williamson family notes that Alexander Williamson recieved a BA from the University of New Zealand in 1874.
When he attested for military service on 7 December 1916 Richard was working as his brother, Frederick Trench Williamson, a farmer at Gordonton, a small town in the Waikato region.
Richard commenced training with 'E' Company of the 25th Reinforcements on 6 February 1917. On 14 March he was promoted to Lance-Corporal, and to Corporal on 23 April . Some time between these dates, probably shortly before his embarkation from Wellington on 26 April, Richard visited Berry & Company's studio to have his portrait taken.
Richard disembarked at Devonport, England on 20 July and marched into Sling Camp the same day. He was posted to the 4th Reserve Battalion of the Auckland Infantry Regiment with the rank of Lance-Corporal, and was sent to France on 5 September. He was at Etaples Camp from 5 September till 3 October. On 11 October 1917 he went to the Front, where he joined the 1st Battalion of the Auckland Regiment. He was still a Lance-Corporal, but on 12 November he relinquished the rank at his own request and reverted to Private.
Richard was wounded in his neck by a gun shot on 3 April 1918 and sent to hospitals in England until he was discharged to the New Zealand Command Depot on 9 August. On 3 October he was back at Sling Camp with the Auckland Regiment's Reserve Battalion and on 4 November he was ordered to attend a training course for Non-Commissioned Officers at Tidworth, with the rank of Lance-Corporal. He was back with his Battalion at Sling by 10 December as a Private, having again relinquished his rank.
Richard embarked at Tilbury for the voyage home on 12 April 1919 and arrived at Wellington on 30 May. He was discharged from the NZEF on 27 June 1919.
Richard returned to the Waikato and became a dairy famer at Puketaha. He served with the Home Guard as Company Sergeant Major of the Waiuku Battalion in the Second World War by which time he was married to Elizabeth Mary Riddell and the couple had two children.
Richard died at Rotorua Hospital on 9 January 1981, aged 84.