Vic Patterson

The life of my Father Vincent "Vic" Patterson had a lot of blank spaces for me. The following is what I have found out so far.

Name:
Location: Eurongilly, New South Wales, Australia

Friday, August 12, 2005

V.G. "VIC" PATTERSON Pte. 26th Battalion P.O.W.


13152. Private Vincent George Patterson


Personal Details on the 3rd of April 1940.

Date and place of birth: 28 March 1916. (Kurow ) New Zealand.

Religion: Church of England.

Marital Status: Married. ( 1st Wife Volet Date 8th. August 1940 ).

Occupation before enlisting: Mill hand.

Address: 122 George Street, Dunedin.

Employer: Ross and Glendenning.

Description: Age 24 years and 30 days. Height 5’ 7 ½ inches.

Next of Kin.

Mother: Mrs Kathleen Patterson.

Address: 8 Norfolk Street St. Clair, Dunedin.

1st. Wife: Mrs Violet Mabel Elizabeth Patterson. ( Nee: Girvan ).

Address: Flat 5c Union Street, Dunedin.

War Time Record

( Dad also served for 12 months with the Mounted Rifles before the war).

Attested at: Dunedin Recruitment Office on 3/4/1940.

Marched into: Burnham Camp 17/5/1940.

Rank: Private.

Unit: 26th Battalion.

Embarked from New Zealand on His Majesty’s New Zealand Troop Ship SS Orcades from Lyttleton on 27 August 1940.

Disembarked at: Egypt 30 September 1940.

*Admitted to Advanced Dressing Station and was a Battle Casualty: 19 November 1940.

*Wounded again 2oth April 1941..

*Declared Missing 18th May 1941.

*Confirmed as Prisoner Of War 1st July 1941.

*Prisoner Of War Number 4508.

*Held in Greece til 16th September 1941.

*Moved to Stalag 306 XVIII D. ( Marburg )

*Then in February 1943 to Stalag 18 B. ( Spittal a.d. Drau )

*Again in March 1943 to Stalag 18 A (Wolfsberg )

*For four years he was a slave labourer to the Germans in either industry or agriculture.

*Safe in UK 22nd May 1945.

*Transferred to the Dutch Air Wing as a driver mechanic.

*Embarked London for NZ on the 3rd of July 1945.

*Disembarked in New Zealand on the 4th of August 1945.

*Discharged 3 months later on the 8th November1945.

*He spent 4 years 343 days overseas out of a total of 5 years 176 days in the Army.

*It was 4years and 7 days from his capture before he was safe on Allied soil again though still a long way from home.

*On the 31st of March 1946 he was paid his entitlement.

*232 pounds 9 shillings and fourpence.

Awarded 4 Medals:

  • The Africa Star.
  • The 1939-1945 Star.
  • War Medal 1939-1945.
  • NZ War Services Medal.

Well there you go then………….

I put this together from the information I have been sent by some very helpful people and what I could glean from the 'net..

It raises a couple of questions for me….

Dad filled out his recruitment form on the 2nd of April 1940 as a Single man with his Mother, Kathleen Patterson, as executor of his will. ( no mention of his father anywhere.)
** Confirmed divorced..date will be added when found.

New Information. 4th Dec 2007.

Dad's father, James, remarried in 1930 to Hazel Brookes.

When he signed the form the next day he had it changed to Married with his new bride, Violet, as executor.

What happened to Violet I wonder?.
**Violet sent dad a "Dear Vincent" letter while he was a prisoner.
**Dad told my brother, Garry, that she met him on his return.

4 years and 343 days is a long time to be apart after only a few short months together.

If my interpretation of the information is right:



    • Dad went into Burnham Camp on the 17th of June
    • They married on the 8th of August.
    • He probably got a short pass before he left New Zealand on the 27th of August 1940.
    • He returned on the 4th of August 1945 and was discharged from the army on the 8th of November that year.

    Subsequent Marriages:

    #Rosalie Mavis ( nee Colvin ) 5 children. Paula, Vernon, Garreth, Roben and Noelene. Divorced around 1961?.

    #Sandra. No children. Still married at the time of his death on the 30th of June 1985.

    That’s about it so far.

    I’m still keen to find out more so any suggestions will be welcome.

    Rob.


    Name misspelled “
    Paterson” in the book about his unit :-

    Title; 26 Battalion.

    Author: F. D. Norton.

    Publisher: War History Branch of NZ Dept. Internal Affairs.