JD Tiffen – Trinity School War Memorial

Key Information

Name: James Duncan Tiffen

DoB: 28th February 1905

Regt: Private NZ Defence Force 32707

DoD: 13th July 1948

Academic Career: CGS 1909-18

Other:

Biographical Information

Family Background

Family Background:

James was the younger son of James Tiffen and Catherine [ nee Findlay}. James’s brother, Harold Vincent Tiffen died in WW1 in 1917 and is commemorated at Thiepval on the Somme.

James was a civil engineer he emigrated to NZ in 1937 and settled in Wellington, so he enlisted in the 2nd NZEF.
Academic Record
War Record

War Service:

Private New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Greece and North Africa.

Attested 28th February 1940.

James enlisted aged 34, in New Zealand. He was described as a Civil Engineer and draughtsman. He seems to have left NZ in August 1940 {according to the timeline received from relatives} as by February 1941 he is in Egypt being charged as being “Absent without leave” for 17.5 hours while on Active Service. For this he was fined 1 day’s pay and 7d and confined to barracks. He must have decided it was worth it as in June he was again Absent without Leave {36.5 hours Anti-Aircraft Sec 15}. For this was Forfeit 5 days pay and 2 days Under RW(Royal Warrant?).

By 13th December 1941 James was reported as a POW in the Middle East. For the next three years James is reported as a POW in Italy and then Germany {see timeline}. In 1945 he was at Stalag 344, a large POW camp in Silesia. He was reported to have been in the UIK on 11th April 1945, disembarking in New Zealand on the 20th December.

James died in Military Hospital of pulmonary TB in Wellington New Zealand in July 1948.
Other
Sources

Text content

Born 280205	James Duncan Tiffen 32707	Location
28 02 40	Attested. Enlisted aged 34 Civil Engineer and draughtsman	Wellington
17 05 40	Entered camp
10 06 40	? to Camp Hospital	?
14-19 06 40	? from Camp Hospital – Sick Leave
27 08 40	Embarked
01 02 41	While on Active Service Absent without leave 17.5 hours 1 day’s pay and 7d confined to barracks	Egypt
19 06 41	While on Active Service Absent without leave 36.5 hours Anti-Aircraft Sec 15 Forfeit 5 days pay and 2 days Under RW(?)
01 10 41	Disembarked	At Egypt
13 12 41	Reported POW	Middle East
22 02 42	Geneva confirmed POW
13 03 42	POW at Campo PG 66	Capua?
08 06 42 (?)	POW at Campo PG 52 52 Posta Militare 3100	Chiavanni Italy?
14 04 43	POW ???Campo PG 57 PM (Posta Miltare?) 3200	Italy
18 11 43	Casualty leaves (?) states unit 25 Battalion POW	Jordan
20 11 43	? Stalag VIIIA POW no. 33262	Germany
13 05 44	Struck off strength XIII 2 NZ Expeditionary Force Middle East on being transferred (?) to XIII list 2NZEF UK. Taken on Strength on confirmed POW list 2 NZ EF (UK) on being transferred from XIII list (MEF)
31 12 44	Africa Star
08 12 44	2sfd (?) Stalag 344	Germany
17 04 45	Returning to NZ
11 04 45	Safe in UK. Placed on NZ roll ex POW	Marched in Puttick?
14 04 45	Marched out of Puttick using ? 14 days leave and
06 08 45	eligible s/a(?) 4/6 a day
15 08 45	Dual Award 1939-45 Star
	Marched out of Puttick ???? O/S leave 9CTB
20 08 45	eligible s/a(?) 4/6 a day
	Marched out on 16 days Overseas leave and is
24 09 45	eligible s/a(?) 4/6 a day ex Puttick Wing?
— 12 45	Embarked	UK ?
10 10 45	Puttick wing overseas leave eligible s/a(?) 4/6 a day
01 11 45	Marched out Puttick wing embarked for NZ
20 12 45	Arrived NZ	W’gton
11 01 46	NZ 684
11 01 46	Granted 61 days overseas leave expiring 13 03 46 Remains on pay
13 03 46	D.R.448 POW
26 04 46	Discharged	Wellington
13 07 48	Died Pulmonary TB – years	Welllington Hospital