FIJI GUERILLAS Masefield, Ben

[John Robertson]

• SURNAME

Masefield ​

• FORENAME

Ben ​

• UNIT

New Zealand Commandos ​

• RANK

Lieutenant ​

• NUMBER

72165 ​

• DATE OF DEATH

11th July 1943 ​

• AGE

23 ​

• GRAVESITE

Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery,New Caledonia 4.7 ​

• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

from Blenheim,New Zealand​

born New Zealand 21.4.1920​

son of William Norris and Amouri Beryl Masefield,Kekerangu,Marlborough,New Zealand​

single​

farmer in civilian life​

award Mention in Despatches​

KIA New Georgia ​

London Gazette 36382, 15th February 1944, Page 828​

​

 

[dtk]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/porkynz/6260222056/

Ben Masefield, a most able leader, was the first New Zealand casualty among the commandos. He had spent some days with four of his Tongans in enemy territory, reaching the Bairoko Trail and moving along it to the outskirts of the Munda airfield. He was unfortunately killed while patrolling ahead of the Americans, caught in their artillery barrage. Two of the Tongans were wounded by splinters from the shell which killed their leader.

http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Paci-_N87992.html#n266