Henry John Ludemann

Lance Sergeant

Conflict:

WW2

Additional Information:

Son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel George Ludemann, of Masterton, Wellington, New Zealand.

References:

CWGC

NZ WAR GRAVES

Biographical Notes:

"At half past five on the afternoon of 5 December the SS Chakdina left Tobruk harbour carrying 380 wounded, of whom 97 were New Zealanders. The Chakdina was not a hospital ship, but her use had been arranged by the British ADMS in Tobruk. In addition to the wounded she had on board some officers and men who were going to Baggush to resume duties with HQ 2 NZ Division. Among them were Maj M. Williams, OC 4 Field Hygiene Section, WO I R. W. Cawthorn, and two men of ADMS's staff. Just after nine o'clock an enemy plane released a torpedo, which exploded in one of the after holds of the Chakdina. She sank within three and a half minutes. There was very little chance of escape, except for those who were unwounded or only lightly wounded, and who were in a favourable position at the time. Only 18 of the New Zealand wounded were picked up by the destroyer HMS Farndale, which also rescued all except one of the Divisional Headquarters medical staff. The survivors reached Alexandria on 7 December, and the casualties were admitted to the detachment of 3 NZ General Hospital there. The sinking of the Chakdina was the only major misfortune in the evacuation of New Zealand wounded during the war."

[MEDICAL UNITS OF 2 NZEF IN MIDDLE EAST AND ITALY, NZETC]

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Casualty

Service Number:

1520

Name:

Henry John Ludemann

Rank:

Lance Sergeant

Date of Birth:

Not known

Next of Kin:

Mr Samuel Ludemann (father), Albert Street, Masterton, Wairarapa, New Zealand

Date of Enlistment:

Not known

Enlistment Address:

117 Thorndon Quay, Wellington, New Zealand

Occupation on Enlistment:

Clerk

Unit:

New Zealand Artillery, 4 Field Regiment

Casualty Details

Cause of Death:

Missing, presumed killed

Date of Death:

05 December 1941

Day of Death:

Friday

Age at Death:

Conflict:

WW2

Embarkation Details

Embarkation Body:

Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), 1st Echelon

Embarkation Place:

Wellington, New Zealand

Embarkment Date:

05 January 1940

Destination:

Egypt

Text in italics supplied by Cenotaph Online, Auckland War Memorial Museum

Cemetery

Cemetery:

Alamein Memorial

Cemetery Reference:

Column 99.

Cemetery Location:

Egypt