History of John Henry Liggins (

Year	Date	Event
1879		Born in Ashby de-la Zouch, England
1884		Emigrated to New Zealand with Parents aboard the "British King"
1900	28 March	Joined the N.Z. Army. In 5th Contingent (N.Z. Imperial Bushmen)
1900	31 March	Left New Zealand aboard either the Gymeric, Maori or Waimate.
1900	27 April	Arrived in Beira, South Africa
1901	12 June	Embarked from Capetown
1902	25 October	Discharged from Army
1903	9 September	Married Christina Jones in Pahautanui, New Zealand
1904	12 January	First Son, ‘Clisham Henry’ born
1907	11 April	Wife, Christina, died from Peritonitus
1908-11		Lived in Tokomaru as an Engine Driver
???		Lived in Te Aroha as a Flaxmiller
1917	6 February	Re-enlisted in N.Z. Army
1917	30 May	Posted to 33rd Rifle Battalion
1917	4 August	Allocated to B Company of same unit
1917	31 December	Disembarked for Europe on HMNZT 99 from Wellington
1918	25 February	Arrived in Glasgow, Scotland
1918	25 February	Posted to the Composite Reserve Battalion of the 4th N.Z. Infantry Reserve Brigade, a training unit at Brocton
1918	15 May	Left for France
1918	15 May	Posted to the 3rd N.Z. Entrenching Battalion
1918	8 June	Posted to B Company, 2nd Battalion of the 3rd N.Z. Rifle Brigade
1918	30 July	Wounded in Action (shrapnel in hand)
1918	30 July	Admitted to N.Z. Field Ambulance
1918	3 August	Returned to Unit
1918	30 August	Again Wounded in Action (shrapnel in leg)
1918	30 August	Admitted to Army Field Hospital
1918	2 September	Transferred to General Hospital
1918	6 September	Transferred to Convalescent Hospital
1918	14 October	Transferred to Convalescent Depot, Codford
1918	19 November	Wrote Postcard to sister Catherine (‘Katie’) in New Zealand
1919	2 January	Granted Leave without pay for one month
1919	25 March	Embarked on SS Rapanga, Portsmouth, for New Zealand
1919	27 May	Discharged from N.Z. Army
1920	12 August	Married Dorothy Hodge at St. Johns Presbyterian Church, Wellington, N.Z.
1921	26 August	Second Son, ‘Gordon Thomas’, born
1922-23		Lived in Kimbolton as a Farmer
1925	3 February	Third Son, ‘Alistair Henry’ born
1925	9 April	Alistair Henry died of Pylonic Stenosis Asthenia
1931	5 August	John Henry was killed, accidentally, by Railway Engine

Codford 19/11/18

Dear Katie,

I was very please to receive your letter dated August but sorry to know that Algie had been ill, but hope that they are all well long before this. Yes I have received the papers, thanks and I think that my p ?? s have all livened up at least nearly all of them. Len Jackson's first rate and sends kindest regards. He is over here. Came soon after I did but not much wrong with him. Well what did you think of the war news, spendid wasn't it. It hard to realise that its all over and we shall not have to go back to the trenches again and we have the satisfaction of knowing that we have given the hun a good beating. Suppose it was very exciting over there, people went half mad over here for a few days with joy. It was very lively ? ? ? ? ? it finished up with a free fight and a good deal of damage was done and a few boys injured. Well shall not be long now before we get back to N.Z. Perhaps tw months. Trust this finds all well. Love to all.

Harry

TOKOMARU SETTLER KILLED

OVERTAKEN BY TRAIN

Overtaken suddenly by the south-bound excursion train from Palmerston North as he was walking across the railway bridge about a mile south of Tokomaru between 9 and 10 o'clock yesterday morning, Mr John Henry Liggins, aged 55, a prominent settler in that district, was killed under tragic circumstances. The indications are that, too late, he had in the last fleeting seconds the realisation that the train was almost upon him.

It has been customary for settlers in the vicinity to use the bridge to cross the Tokomaru Stream, and yesterday morning Mr Liggins set out to attend to some stock on a property over the stream. His house was not far distant and his family saw him just before he reached the bridge. They heard the train pass, but entertained no fears for his safety, not thinking that he might be caught on the bridge. However, as he failed to return when expected, one of his sons went to search for him and found his body lying in the bed of the stream below the bridge. His shocking injuries made it obvious that he had been struck by the train which had passed about three-quarters of an hour previously. The engine crew were unaware that an accident had occurred.

There is an uphill approach to the bridge from both sides, and the structure is 50 or 60 feet long. Marks found show that Mr Liggins must have been about 15 feet out on it from the end nearest his home when he found the train bearing down on him and apparently knew he could not return in time. There is a drop of 15 or 20 feet to the bed of the stream, but footmarks found on girders to the side of the bridge lead to the assumption that Mr Liggins got off the sleepers and climbed out onto to these, where he would have been out of reach of the passing engine. Unfortunately he was wearing gumboots and its surmised that the heavy vibration from the train made him slip and lose his hold, throwing him against the train, with the result that he was struck and tossed off the bridge. His efforts to escape on the side of the bridge would probably account for his not being seen by anyone on the train.

The late Mr Liggins was born at Coalville, in Leicestershire, England, and came to New Zealand as a small boy with his parents, who settled at Longburn. He took up gold prospecting in the South Island, going from there with the 6th Contingent to the South African War, from which he was invalided back suffering from enteric fever. Subsequently he was manager of a dairy factory at Pahautanui before becoming manager of the late Mr Joseph Liggins's flaxmill at Tokomaru. Later he was associated with another flaxmilling business at Waitoa before volunteering for service in the Great War. He served until the cessation of hostilities, being wounded twice. After his return he took up sheep farming at Kimbolton for some years before commencing farming at Tokomaru. He was a member of the Masonic Lodge at Shannon, and of the executive of the Manawatu-Oroua branch of the New Zealand Pig Breeders Association.

The sympathy of many friends has been extended to the widow and two sons in their tragic bereavement.

Brothers of Mr Liggins are Messrs J.H.P. Liggins (Tokomaru), C. Liggins (Wanganui), S. Liggins (Foxton), and sisters are Mesdames H.E. Williams(Tokomaru), Joseph Smith (Makerua) and Douglas Gardner (Tokomaru).