Engagements
Wingham — Billsborough. Thelma, second daughter of Mr and Mrs A. Wingham, Maitland street, to Arthur Edward, only son of the late Mr C. Billsborough and Mrs Billsborough, Dunedin. -Evening Star, 21/1/1940.
Apart from the above, the name Billsborough is prominent in Dunedin newspapers in the reports of sporting fixtures - Arthur was a useful player for the Alhambra rugby team, "a particularly good worker in the tight." This ended in September, 1940, when his name appears on a list of "men for training."
WEDDINGS
[While reports of weddings are appreciated by us, we feel it necessary to intimate that, under present conditions, we cannot see our way to insert reports which do not reach us within 14 days from the date of the wedding.]
Billsborough — Wingham A quiet military wedding was solemnised on Saturday, November 23, when Private Arthur E. Billsborough, only son of Mrs C. Billsborough, of Dunedin, and the late Mr Billsborough, was married to Thelma, second daughter of Mr and Mrs A. Wingham, of Maitland street, Dunedin. The Rev. L. B. Neale was the officiating minister. The bride wore a becoming two-piece frock in mulberry, with white accessories and was attended by Miss Elsie Wingham, her sister. Gunner Brian L. Dunning acted as best man. The bride’s travelling outfit was a multi-coloured georgette frock and black coat and hat. -Otago Daily Times, 5/12/1940.
Arthur was enlisted in 20 Battalion and moved with the unit into Greece to resist an invasion by the German army. Arthur was one of 47 from the Battalion who were taken prisoner in Greece. He was listed in December, 1941, as "wounded," and is on a later list - July, 1942 - as "missing."
Personal
Word has been received by Mrs A. E Billsborough, of 22 Clark street, that her husband, Private A. E. Billsborough, previously reported missing, is a prisoner of war. -Evening Star, 22/10/1942.
Arthur was eventually sent to Stalag 8b at Lamsdorf, Germany (Now Lambinowice, Poland). As an "other ranks" he was required under the terms of the Geneva Convention to work for his captors. He would have done so in one of the roughly 700 "Arbeitskommandos" or working parties which worked outside the main camp. They worked on mining, in factories, railway repair, etc. I have no information as to how Arthur Billsborough died while in captivity in August, 1944, except that it was as a result of "air activity." From this I can surmise that he was part of an outside working party which was fired upon by a plane of the Soviet Red Army. A labouring crew working on, say, railway repair would have been regarded as a legitimate target by the Red Army.
It would have take a little while for Arthur's family to get the news of his death. It would have been reported to the International Red Cross by the German authorities and British or New Zealand authorities informed in their turn.
FOR THE EMPIRE’S CAUSE
BILLSBOROUGH — Pte. Arthur Edmond, husband of Thelma Billsborough (nee Wingham), 22 Clark street, and only son of Mrs. G. M. Billsborough and the late Mr Billsborough, Wakari, killed while a prisoner in Germany on August 29, 1944; aged 26 years. -Otago Daily Times, 3/10/1944.
PRIVATE A. E. BILLSBOROUGH, of Dunedin, killed on active service while a prisoner. He left with the first section of the Fourth Reinforcement in 1940, served in Greece, Crete, Syria, and Libya, was wounded twice in Libya, and taken prisoner at EI Alamein in 1942. He was first in the Italian camp 85, in Italy, but was later transferred to Germany, where he was killed on August 29 last as the result of air activity. Private Billsborough was 26 years old. He was educated at Ravensbourne and the Technical College, and was employed by the New Zealand Fur Company. An enthusiastic member of the Alhambra Football Club, he was a valued forward in the senior side the year before his enlistment. -Evening Star, 7/10/1944.
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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.
BILLSBOROUGH. — Mrs T. Billsborough (nee Wingham) and Mrs G. M. Billsborough, sen., desire to thank all kind relatives and friends for personal expressions, letters, and telegrams in their sad bereavement. Please accept this as a personal acknowledgment. -Evening Star, 28/10/1944.
RUGBY CLUBS
ALHAMBRA
The sixty-first annual meeting of the Alhambra Rugby Football Club was held last night. The president, Mr J. D. King, occupied the chair, and there was a good attendance of members. Regret was expressed at the deaths on active service of A. Billsborough, A. McCartney, and J. Parkhill, and the club extended its sympathy to the relatives. It was of interest to note, stated the annual report, that last season the senior team was mostly composed of returned men from overseas, and on one occasion no fewer than 13 of the team were returned men.
The following officers were elected: — President, Mr A. Knox; club captain, Mr R. Coombs; hon. secretary, Mr W. Hay; committee — Messrs L. Thompson, G. Campbell, W. Williams, and I. Mockford; delegates to Otago Rugby Football Union — Messrs I. Grant, O. Knox, and J. King; delegate to Footballers' Accident Fund, Mr J. King; delegate to the Sports Protection Association, Mr W. Hay; representative on the Junior Advisory Committee, Mr J. Garthwaite. Twenty vice-presidents were elected.
The opening day was fixed for March 24. -Evening Star, 7/3/1945.
WAR PRISONER’S DEATH
COMRADES SUBSCRIBED FOR WIDOW
(P.A.) DUNEDIN, September 24. A thoughtful and kindly gesture by the comrades of a New Zealand soldier who died in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany during the war has just been made known through the receipt by his widow in Dunedin of a cheque from the Army Department. When Private A. E. Billsborough died as a prisoner in Stalag VIIIB, Germany, his fellow prisoners, comprising United Kingdom, Australian, and New Zealand servicemen, subscribed among themselves an amount of 2074 reichmarks, which they desired should be remitted to his next-of-kin. While the war continued it was not possible for the money to be remitted, but the amount was evidently held in trust, and handed to the Army authorities when hostilities ceased.
The widow, Mrs Thelma Billsborough, of 22 Clark Street, knew nothing of all this, and she was deeply grateful when she received a cheque for £172 17s l1d, representing the amount subscribed, with the addition of 25 per cent. exchange to the sterling equivalent of the reichsmarks. “Owing to the state of hostilities which then existed, and later to the chaotic conditions prevailing following the collapse of Germany,” says the letter from the Army Department, “It has only now been possible to surmount obstacles in the path of locating and transferring the money so subscribed to New Zealand.” -Ashburton Guardian, 25/9/1946.
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