Frederick Arthur Airey (1892 - 1917)

Born 9 May 1892 in New Zealand

Ancestors

Died 30 Sep 1917 at age 25 in Belgium, Europe

Biography

Frederick was born on the 9 May 1892. He is the son of Walter Airey and his wife, Margaret Avon (McDonald) Airey. ^[1]

After receiving his primary education at the Remuera public school, he gained a junior national scholarship, and he entered the Auckland Grammar School. There he was a student until 1910. He was senior prefect, ; he played fullback for the fifteen, he was captain of the eleven which won the Heathcote Williams Shield at Christchurch, and he finished his brilliant career at the school by standing second on the list of junior scholars of the university.

The academic achievements attained by Mr. Airey as a student during the four years 1911-1914 were as follows: 1911 - first-class passes in English, Latin, and mathematics; 1912 - first class passes in French, advanced, and economics, and college premium for French; 1913 - first class passes in English, advanced, and French, and second-class pass in French; 1914 - university senior scholarship in English and graduation for B.A. degree. ^[2]

Frederick Airey was chosen as a candidate for the 1915 Rhodes Scholarship, ^[3]and later the 1916 Scholarship.

Mr. Airey was a prominent member of the University College Cricket Club, and in 1913 he had the highest batting average in the senior eleven. He played in the college football teams and was prominently and actively associated with the numerous clubs in connection with the college.

In 1914 he was president of the Students' Association, president of the Musical Society, editor of the College Magazine, vice-president of the literary club, committee and played cricket for the University Club. ^[4]

He was a co-organiser of a charity football match in 1916 in aid of Belgian children a few days later he enlisted.

World War I

Frederick Airey is an Anzac who served in World War One.

Frederick Airey Died of wounds during World War I.

He enlisted on 25 July 1916 in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Service Number: 30102

2nd Battalion Otago Regiment - Lieutenant.

He embarked from Wellington in February 1917 and joined his battalion at the Front in France in June. He was wounded in action in late July 1917, wounded again in the beginning of August, and finally wounded yet again 30 September 1917. He did not recover and died from his wounds.

He is buried in Lijssenthoek Military Cemetery, Poperinge, West-Vlaanderen, Belgium.

His name is included on memorials at Remuera Primary School, St Luke’s Church, Mt Albert, the College Rifles Roll of Honour, and in the Auckland University Roll of Honour.

Sources

1. ↑ Birth: New Zealand Births, Deaths and Marriages - Online. Registration: 1892/9112; Name: Frederick Arthur Airey; Parents: Margaret Avon & Walter Henry accessed 25 Apr 2023; citing New Zealand Crown, Copyright: The Department of Internal Affairs.
2. ↑ NZ Herald, 9 April 1914, p. 9
3. ↑ NZ Herald, 31 October 1914, p 5
4. ↑ NZ Herald, 8 April 1914, p. 6

• Lisa Truttman, historian, Ōrākei Local Board. World War 1 Roll of Honour book, p7.
• [Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum, licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (accessed 25 April 2023).