Lloyd Hamilton "Jock" Hume (1918-1941)

Date of Birth 3 March 1918
Place of Birth Hamilton
Serial Number 22967
Religion Anglican
Occupation before Enlistment: Accountant
Address before Enlistment: PO BOX 151, Hamilton
Enlistment Date 1939
Age on Enlistment 21 years
Military District Hamilton
First Rank 2nd Lieutenant
Unit on Embarkation Artillery 4 Reinforcements
Marital Status on Embarkation Single
Next of Kin Mr J H Hume (father), Hororata Road Takapuna Auckland
Embarkation Date December 1940
Place of Embarkation Wellington
Disembarked at Egypt
Embarking Transport Empress of Russia (ship)
Last Unit Served In: 5 Field Regiment
Campaigns Greece, Crete
Killed in action on 21 May 1941 at Maleme Aerodrome in Crete at the age of 23.
Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Armoury Resource Centre

In January of 2013, Roly Hume wrote the following.

Lloyd Hamilton "Jock" Hume was born in Hamilton 3-3-1918 to parents Herbert "Bert" Hume &Florence "Flo" Hume [nee Graham]. After receiving his primary education in Hamilton he attended Takapuna Grammar School then joined the staff of the Hamilton FAC as an accountant. e enlisted in the army as a gunner in our artillery, was promoted to sergeant on 16-5-40 &2nd.lieut.12-8-40. Jock left NZ 19-12-40 arriving in Egypt 28-1-41 and fought in Greece until evacuated to Crete 3-5-41 where he was killed while fighting his guns 4000 yards from Maleme airfield on 21-5-41.My interest in family history was sparked by my dad's first cousin "Lassie" Hume leaving me all her extensive records &photos. Lassie was joined our airforce at the start of WW2 and rose through the ranks to become head lady or "Queen Bee" earning the MBE in 10-6-61 for her service years.

In 2002 my wife Mary & myself decided to visit Crete and were joined by brother Terry &wife Anne in firstly a ten day tour of Turkey including Anzac Day at Gallipoli, then down to Crete where with the help of an old army map on which I had drawn compass settings we located Jock's artillery position. Also visited Suda Bay war cemetery which is kept in immaculate order, unfortunately Jock like so many others does not have a marked grave, his body could lie in a grave where he fell in battle or in one of the many "unknown soldier" plots at Suda Bay.
By Roly Hume 6-1-2013.

2nd Liet LH Hume was entitled to the following awards

1939-45 Star
Africa Star
War Medal 1939-45
NZ War Service Medal

His Letters

A letter from Jock to his Mother explaining why he enlisted (1939).
The last letter of Jock Hume written in May 1941.
News of Jocks death

Below is part of a letter from Heather Hume who was a nurse in the NZ. Army in Egypt prior to marrying "Jock" Hume's elder brother Keith postwar.

I well remember admitting to our ward in Egypt these war weary soldiers from Crete and learning of Jock's death from one of his regiment, no official reports were out so I sent the message to Keith at Maadi camp and he and Stewart Wilson came over to see the soldier, hence the ominous cable to your parents. Censorship was very strict then, and I think he conveyed the news very well, Heather

Below is Keith's cable to his elder brother Murray [Roly's dad] here in New Zealand.
Suggest some of family stay with Parents love from your youngest brother Keith Hume

As it was actually Jock himself that was the youngest of the five boys (not Keith) Murray picked up the clue, and knew that Jock had been killed. He replied as below.

More details please. Leaving for Raglan immediately. Reply there - Murray Hume.

This explains how Keith was able to advise family that his younger brother had been killed.