Rfn. Thomas Roy Huddlestone

Thomas Roy Huddlestone was born in Westport on the West Coast of New Zealand's South Island on 29 July 1899 (reg. 1899/7208). His parents were Richard Jackson Huddlestone and Mary Ann Huddlestone (née Luff) who had married at Westport in 1887. Roy joined the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 2nd Battalion during World War I [Service No. WWI 12190]. While in England he met and married Gladys Ida Cartwright at Birmingham on 4 September 1918. Just eight days later, Roy was killed in action at Havrincourt in France. He is remembered on the Grévillers New Zealand Memorial. Glady's was pregnant with their daughter, Dorothy, who was born at Birmingham on 17 January 1919. Gladys and Dorothy emigrated to Westport in New Zealand where Glady married Timothy Ryan on 26 December 1922. They would have seven children together, the last one born prematurely on 27 April 1933, but dying at just two hours old. Gladys herself died just 13 days later from puerperal sepsis at the age of 33 on 9 May 1933. They were buried in the same plot in the Roman Catholic section of Ortowaiti Middle Cemetery in Westport [Block E, Row 842]. Bio by Debbie McCauley (4 October 2021).

Sources

1. Buller District Council Cemetery Records.
2. Cenotaph: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/...
3. New Zealand and World War One Roll of Honour: http://freepages.rootsweb.com/~sooty/genealogy/nzefrohHI-HY.html / Ref 10.4.2021