a message received today:
Subject: Wilmot Cornelius GREEN
To: ngairedith
From: Kiwi8914
Date: 2012-04-27 17:37:33

... Hi Ngaire, I have a different request, my Grandmothers elder brother was in WW1 and his name was Herbert Thomas BEVINS, but he went to WW1 as David GREEN. I have been researching him for a long time but the other day I discovered that he had joined at the same time as Wilmot Green and Allan Frederick GREEN. His number was 28466 and the other two were either side of this number. I wonder if they were friends!! Both David and Allan died at war. There has always been this query why he went as David Green and I thought it may have been his birth fathers name but I am unable to find any information on this. Stumbling across the three WW1 numbers I wondered if any of Wilmot's family may have heard of the story about David... a long shot but you never know what has been said ...


RIFEMAN 28466 was David BEVINS
- (Served as David Green, listed on Nominal Roll as David Green)
- he served with New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 10th Reinforcements 4th Battalion, H Company
- it is said on the cenotaph that he was the son of Joseph Woodhouse BEVINS (1855-1926) & Fanny Emma TURNER (1871-1907) of Stratford, although Emma had died in Dec 1907 in Christchurch age 36 and was buried in the Barbadoes cemetery ... 19 Dec 1907 DEATH, On December 19, at 41 Sandford Street, Sydenham, Emma Fanny (Fanny) Bevins, wife of Joseph Bevins of Stratford, Taranaki and beloved daughter of George Turner, of Sydenham; aged thirty-six

... BUT extensive research does not find David Bevins as a son
*David died of disease 12 February 1918 in France
- his next of kin was Miss May Bevins of Stratford, Taranaki (it DOES NOT say that May was his sister just next of kin, if you read on you will see he had a ? sister May). David DIED OF DISEASE in France on 12 Feb 1918
- he is buried XXXI. F. 1. Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France

Joseph BEVINS & Fanny Emma TURNER were married on 4 Jan 1893
- Fanny had a base born son 1892 - 1918 Herbert Thomas TURNER
- born 19 March 1892, 10 months before her marriage to Joseph
*Herbert Turner is said to have died of disease 12 February 1918 in France
- he was buried Etaples Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France
- the children of Joseph & Fanny were:
1898 - 1972 Frank Joseph Woodhouse BEVINS
- born in Christchurch
- Frank served in WWI. He was a 'Ploughman' for W. Kellick, Manganiahu, Fordell
- he married Elsie Maud SUMMERS in 1917
- died in Hamilton
1900 - 1966 May Rose BEVINS
- born in Christchurch
- May married Albert Edward REYNOLDS in 1920
- she died in New Plymouth


MY CONCLUSION, David Bevins/Green was Herbert Thomas Turner/Bevins
- (enlistment ages were always altered so we cannot go on that!!)
RIFLEMAN 28465 was Alan Frederick GREEN
- he served with New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 9th Reinforcements 4th Battalion, H Company. Enlisted from Brunswick, Manawatu
- his next of kin was his father J. F. Green of Radford Bank, Stafford, England
- he was KILLED IN ACTION in Belgium 7 June 1917
- he is buried Messines Ridge (New Zealand) Memorial, Messines Ridge British Cemetery, Belgium

RIFLEMAN 28467 was Wilmot Cornelius GREEN
- he served with New Zealand Rifle Brigade, 9th Reinforcements 4th Battalion, H Company
- his next of kin was his father Cornelius Green of Rata, Hunterville, Manawatu
- Wilmot was the 6th of 9 children of Cornelius GREEN & Sarah BARTLETT
...1 1883 - 1944 Charlotte Ann Green
- Charlotte married William David THOMPSON in 1906
...2 1885 - Samuel Percy Green
- Samuel married Isabella Elizabeth COCKBURN in 1913
...3 1887 - Ella Ruth Green
- Ella married Albert Goerge CAMPION in 1909
- she married Alexander PARK in 1919
...4 1889 - 1978 Leonard Thomas Green
- Leonard married Mary Ellen Louisa DOWN in 1913
...5 1890 - 1989 Nina Mace Green
- Nina married Alexander REID in 1922
- she married Francis Patick CANAVAN in 1930
...6 1893 - 1975 Wilmot Cornelius Green
- served as above
- Wilmot married Zoe SANSON in 1920
...7 1895 - 1974 Netta Bartlett Green
- Netta married Charles Henry SIGNAL in 1915
...8 1897 - 1967 Cecil Galpin Green
- although his father appealed his serving, he served as #76307 in 1915
...9 1899 - 1977 Cyril Vincent Green
- Cyril married Nora Elizabeth BUTEMENT in 1924
- their son, Cyril Vincent Green was KILLED IN ACTION in WWII

so, in answer to Kiwi8914's questions: was David/Herbert Turner's biological father a GREEN?
OR was he a friend of Wilmot (parents from Rata, Manawatu) and Alan Frederick (farming in Brunswick, Manawatu). Was one or both Greens working together ? - too much of a coincidence ?
if you can help, if you have 'heard stories' down through your family please leave comments below

PHOTO
ETAPLES MILITARY CEMETERY