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Rifleman Gordon left with his unit from Wellington on 25th September 1916 bound for Devonport, England. |
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Robert Gordon was the son of Thomas and Thomasina Gordon. Thomas Gordon married Thomasina McMullan on the 24th November 1887 in Ballymoney. |
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Robert James Gordon was born on 24th August 1893 in Kilrea. |
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Family: Thomas Gordon, Thomasena Gordon, Annie Gordon (born 11th May 1888, Dirraw, Ballymoney), John Gordon (born 9th February 1891, Kilrea), Robert James Gordon (born 24th August 1893, Kilrea), Cassie Gordon (born 12th November 1895, Kilrea), Samuel George Gordon (born 28th April 1898, Kilrea), Letitia Gordon (born 28th November 1900, Kilrea). |
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The 1901 census lists Robert James as age 7 living with the family at house 31 in Lislea, Tamlaght, County Londonderry. Thomas Gordon was a farmer. |
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Robert was just 9 years old when his father, Thomas Gordon, died on 3rd February 1903 in Kilrea. He was 44 years old. |
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The 1911 census lists Robert J as age 18 living with the family at house 20 in Lislea, Tamlaght, County Londonderry. No occupation is recorded for any of the elder children so it may be presumed that they all worked on their mother’s farm. |
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Robert emigrated to New Zealand. |
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Robert James Gordon enlisted 29th May 1916 at Trentham Military Camp. He gave his next of kin as his brother in law, J.T. Kyle, who lived in Waipukurau, New Zealand. |
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Rifleman Robert James Gordon was serving with 3 New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 4 Battalion, when he was killed in action in France on 7th June 1917. |
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Rifleman Gordon has no known grave and is commemorated on the Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial in Belgium. The Memorial to the Missing is situated within Messines Ridge British Cemetery, which is located 9 kilometres south of Ypres. |
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The CWGC record Rifleman Robert James Gordon as the son of Mrs T Gordon of Lislea, Portglenone, Co. Derry, Ireland. |
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Prior to enlisting, Robert worked as a farm labourer in Dannevirk, Kiritaki, New Zealand |
