WW1 Ernest and Walter Pountney and family

Three Pountney brothers and their sister came to New Zealand from Birmingham, England at different times. Their parents were William and Annie Pountney. The eldest child was Edith May Pountney (1868 – 1962) who had married Neville Davis in England 1891 and they lived in Ellerslie, Auckland.

The brothers were:

Ernest Pountney (24050) (1871 – 1916)

Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073) (1873 – 1916)

William Henry Pountney, (1857? – 1926) who lived in Meadowbank, Remuera and had married Jane Theresa Rylance. He was a Director in the merchant company, Carr, Pountney and Company.

Their sons were:

William George (1886 – 1968)

Ernest Reginald (12/1913) (1890 – 1933)

Henry Neville (24049 WWI, 1/18/923 WWII) (1892 – 1968)

Cyril John (1896 – 1896)

Ernest Pountney (24050) and Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073) were the two brothers of the older generation of Pountneys both of whom fought and lost their lives in World War I. Two of their nephews Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913) and Henry Neville Pountney (24049 WW1, 1/18/923 WWII) also fought in the First World War and both returned. [1]

Ernest Pountney (24050)

Ernest Pountney (24050) was born in 1871 in Birmingham, England, where he was educated, and worked, before arriving in New Zealand in about 1904.

Ernest was employed as a traveller with the leather goods company J. Wiseman and Sons Limited, owned by the Wiseman brothers James and Alexander. Ernest’s wife, Dora Ponsford had also worked there as a typist for six years, until her marriage to Ernest in December 1905. They lived in Alfred Street (now Aldred Road), Remuera and had two children, Lawrence (born 1907) and Nelson (born 1912) [2, 3, 4].

Ernest was a member of the Choir of St Mary’s, Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, a scout master, and a member of the National Reserve.

He enlisted aged 45 on the 8th February 1916 as a Sergeant with the 13th Reinforcements, Auckland Infantry Battalion, A Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force, sailing for England on 27 May 1916. He applied for a Separation allowance of a shilling a day for his wife and children. He reverted to the rank of Private. He was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme, Northern France on 3rd October 1916 [5]

He is remembered on the

Memorial plaque, St Mary’s Church (part of Holy Trinity Cathedral), corner St Stephens Avenue and Parnell Road, Auckland

World War I Roll of Honour for the Ōrākei Local Board area. Auckland Council. Retrieved October 2017

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories.

Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073)

Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073) was born 10 April 1873 in Birmingham, England. He came to New Zealand and worked as the accountant to the Union Sash and Door Company at Aratapu, North Auckland, then went seafaring and later worked at J. Wiseman and Sons like his brother, Ernest Reginald Pountney (24050). Walter was not married and lived with his sister Mrs Edith Davis in Ellerslie.

Walter was interested in church and parish affairs, serving as a member of the vestry and like his brother, Ernest Reginald Pountney (24050) in the choir, but at the Christ Church in Ellerslie. Walter was a Mason, an organisation promoting self-development, family and community values, providing men with an opportunity for public service and involvement in charitable and community issues.[3]

Together with his brother Ernest Pountney (24050), they formed an indent agent company together as Pountney Brothers. The company was dissolved when the brothers decided to enlist.

Walter enlisted on 16 November 1915 at 42 years of age. His brother Ernest Reginald Pountney (24050) enlisted four months later. Walter sailed for Suez on 4th March 1916 as a Private in the 10th Reinforcements Auckland Infantry Battalion, A Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He was transferred to the 2nd Battalion to the Western Front in France. As he was a good linguist, he was a translator in France.

He was missing, killed in action on 16 September 1916 at the Somme, France, aged 43. His brother was to perish there a month later.

Walter is remembered on the

Caterpillar Valley (New Zealand) Memorial, Caterpillar Valley, Longueval, Somme, France.

Ellerslie War Memorial Hall Roll of Honour

Memorial at Christ Church, Ellerslie.

World War I Roll of Honour for the Ōrākei Local Board area. Auckland Council. Retrieved October 2017.

Auckland War Memorial Museum, World War 1 Hall of Memories.

Henry Neville Pountney (24049 WW1, 1/18/923 WWII)

Henry Neville Pountney was born in Auckland in 1892 to William Henry Pountney, (1857? – 1926) and Jane Theresa Pountney (nee Rylance), Meadowbank, Remuera.

He attended Remuera Primary School and when he enlisted, he was working as an Insurance Assistant, with the South British insurance Company at its Hong Kong Office, from where he had been given discharge to enlist. He was a member of College Rifles Rugby Football Club and whilst in Hong Kong, a member of the Calcutta Light Horse, The Hong Kong Scouts Company.

He arrived back in Auckland to enlist and trained at Trentham during February 1916. He was 5ft 8 inches (173cm) with brown eyes and brown hair. He sailed on 27 May 1916 for England as a Corporal with the 13^th Reinforcements, Auckland Infantry Battalion, A Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force.  Henry’s brother, Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913) and their two uncles, Ernest Pountney (24050) and Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073) had already enlisted.

Henry was sent to France where he was wounded in the hand on 10 June 1917. He was sent to England to recuperate and whilst there he also qualified on 23 October 1917 as a bomb throwing instructor at Lyndhurst, England.  He returned to the Western Front in France, where he was wounded again in June 1918.  He returned to England to recover, which took some time, as his injured left foot and ankle were taking time to heal. In October 1918, he was classified as unfit for military service for 12 months, but when the war ended, he was discharged on 22 December 1918.

In 1922 Henry married Gwendolin Marie Cox and they lived at 34 Ladies Mile, Remuera. He served again in World War II in the National Military Reserves and transferred to the Royal New Zealand Air Force 1942 to 1948.  He had his own business as a mercantile broker.  He died in 1968.

Henry is remembered on the Remuera Primary School World War One Gates 1914-1918, 25 Dromorne Road, Remuera Auckland.

Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913)

Ernest Reginald born in 1890 was the second of four sons of William Henry Pountney, (1857? – 1926) and Jane Theresa (Rylance), Meadowbank, Remuera, other sons being, William George (1886 – 1968), Ernest Reginald (1890 – 1933), Henry Neville Pountney (1892 – 1968), Cyril John 1896 died shortly after birth at 7 weeks.

Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913) attended Remuera Primary School. He was a member of College Rifles Senior Rugby Team and its Vice-Captain during the successful 1910-1911 seasons.

Ernest Reginald was a Clerk and later a Director, at Carr, Pountney and Company, a merchant and export company exporting flax, copra, kauri gum, and wood, later prominent importers of rice, raw coffee and other goods.  The offices were situated in Fort Street, Auckland. The building is now a listed building with Heritage New Zealand as Isaacs’ Bonded Store. [1]

Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913) was the first of the Pountney family to enlist in 1914, then his uncle Ernest Pountney (24050) was the next on 8 February 1916 then his brother Henry Neville Pountney (24049 WW1, 1/18/923 WWII) enlisted on 9^th February 1916 and the second uncle, Walter Reginald Pountney (12/4073) on 15 November 1916.

Ernest Reginald Pountney (12/2913) was posted to Samoa for seven months 30 August 1914 to 9 March 1915. He was a Sergeant with the Auckland Infantry Battalion in the Samoan Advance Party.

He returned to New Zealand and set sail on 9 October 1915 for Suez, Egypt and on to the Western Front as a Signaller and Second Lieutenant with the Auckland Infantry Battalion in the 7^th Reinforcements.

He returned to New Zealand, on duty. In 1917. Whilst in New Zealand, he married Dorothy Jean Bennett. There were two children a daughter Neville Mary (born 1918) and a son Walter Donald (born 1920).

On 5 June 1918 Ernest Reginald sailed to Liverpool, England with the 38^th Reinforcements, as a Captain with the Specialists Company, New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Specialist units performed a variety of tasks to support of the main combat arms of infantry, artillery, and mounted rifles maintaining transport links and communications by using flags (semaphores), operating signalling lamps, laying telephone lines and using wireless radios. [2, 3]

Ernest Reginald was discharged from the Army on 28 March 1919.  He was awarded the 1914-1915 Star, British War Medal and Victory Medal.

Ernest Reginald died at Auckland in 1933.  There is an Obituary in the New Zealand Herald, 21 October 1933 [4]

He is remembered on Remuera Primary School World War One Gates 1914-1918, 25 Dromorne Road, Remuera Auckland.

G Ralph
May 2020