SAVILL - Remittance Man in New Zealand, c1935 - 1984

[mrnz2014]

This quest has been thwarted on many fronts due to a lack of verifiable information.  "Remittance Men" had a preponderance to alter/change their name(s) in order to minimise their profile, traceability and /or to protect the identity/reputation of their family.

I have been passed a set of WW2 medals named to "PETER STANDISH SAVILL" whose descendants I would like to return the medals to.

Peter S. SAVILL arrived in NZ approx 1937. He lived in Timaru, a port town in the South Island of NZ.  Peter

This is what is known, taken mainly from his New Zealand Army war service file.  This information was recorded in 1939 at enlistment:

Peter Standish SAVILL               
DOB:  There are TWO - Death Cert states: 06 Jan 1907; Enlistment record states: 08 Jan 1913
POB:     Channel Islands - Sark (it is believed he may have been born in Essex?)
Occupation:   Seaman
Education:     English Public School (UK) 
Location & Level: not stated
Last Employment:  c/o CLAYTON STATION, Fairlie, South Canterbury
Employer:       A. McKenzie
Occupation:    Farm Labourer
Current Address: c/o 42 Gray Road, Timaru
NOK 1939:   Mrs Pauline SAVILL (mother)
NOK Address:    La Belle, Hautgarde, Nice, France
Father:           Peter SAVILL (taken from Death Cert/Hospital Record) - states "born in France"
Father's Occup:  Tailor
Mother:           Pauline SAVILL       

DOD:                25 Jan 1991, New Zealand - 84 yrs. 
Buried:              Timaru Cemetery (Returned Services Section)
Cause:      Cancer

NZ MILITARY SERVICE

Regt No. 22422
Rank:   Gunner
Unit:    5 Field Regiment(Reinforcements) 2NZEF - 2nd NZ Divisional Artillery.
Corps:  RNZ Artillery
Post:    RHQ - Clerk
Embarked:  April 1940 > Egypt
Campaign:  North Africa
POW in Germany: 11 Feb 1942 - Interred at Campo 57 at Gruppignano near Udine, Italy.   
                           3200 prisoners, mainly Aust & NZ W/Os and soldiers.
POW Released to UK:  27 Apr 1945
Returned NZ:  Dec 1945 - admitted Queen Mary Hospital, Hanmer on arrival NZ - "Anxiety and
                     Malnutrition" - 3 mths in care.
Discharged:    Apr 1946

CIVIL EMPLOYMENT

1938-39:  Clayton Station, Fairlie - Farm Hand
Note: known as P.S. SAVILLE from this time.
Boarding Address: 62 Otipua Road, Kensington, Timaru 

Electoral Roll entries below vvvvv:
1949:       Clerk at Otekaieke Special School for Boys (delayed & learning difficulties) - Waimate,
                South Canterbury                                                                             
1954      Otekaieke Special School, Oamaru   Clerk
1957      Waipiata, Otago, Central Otago      Attendant (petrol station)
1963      62 Otipua Rd, Kensington, Timaru   Seafarer
1963      62 Otipua Rd, Kensington, Timaru   Seafarer
1972      62 Otipua Rd, Kensington, Timaru   Seafarer
1981      62 Otipua Rd, Kensington, Timaru   Retired
1990         Timaru Public Hospital
1991      Death - Cemetery records occupation as: "Retired Gentleman"

WILL:       Bequest of $3000 to Timaru Hospital, $2000 to NZ Red Cross, $2000 to Cancer Society,
                balance "to my friend Mary Nicol" of 68 Bowker St. Kensington, Timaru.

Quite a few unknowns - I have more info to add re sea service but too much for this post.  If someone out there can connect any dots or verify any connections, I would be most interested to hear from you as I am now stuck !  Email me for the rest of the story.

Kind regards,

Ian D. Martyn
Nelson, NZ
E: medalsreunitednz@gmail.com
W: www.medalsreunitednz.co.nz

[AMBLY]

Hi Ian

Timaru Cemetary
Peter Standish Saville, buried Row 163. Plot 289.
Betts Funeral Services Ltd, conducted his funeral.

Have you already been down the route of checking with the Funeral Directors (who are still in business) as to what information they might have for Peter on the record they hold for him? That can sometimes reveal important clues as to family members - I usually make a phone call, and have always found the directors I've called very friendly and helpful.

Cheers
AMBLY

[mrnz2014]

Hello Ambly,

Thank you for your response and suggestion.  I have not yet contacted the funeral company and will follow that up.

Kind regards

Ian

[spades]

Hi Ian,

He is mentioned (as P S SAVILL) in the RSA publication Last Post, issue of April 1991.

Readers of this topic should also refer to Ian's very detailed and helpful post on the forum British Merchant Navy Old Friends Plus.
http://www.rootschat.com/links/01oio/

Spades

[mrnz2014]

Thank you Spades,

I must add that since my original post in 2017, some clarification of detail has been made. As a result readers may detect variations in the SAVILL / SAVILLE information posted on Rootschat yesterday which should now be considered the most accurate available to date.


As indicated yesterday there is more information to be added to the mix......... here it is:

PHILLIP SAVILL, a son of one of the Shaw, Savill Line owners was born about the same time as Peter Standish SAVILL professed to be, c1907.  Phillip's sea-going record is in the Shaw Savill Society History Archives, UK. (verified by Soc Sec, Graham Pepper)

Phillip Savill's first posting to sea was as a CADET on Shaw Savill ship, SS Matatua on 24 April 1925.

Phillip's service is recorded as follows, these records are NZ Maritime Immigration ONLY - Savill is recorded in all cases as "P. SAVILL", never a first name.  His ships and rank are summarised below.

NZ ARRIVALS for "P. SAVILL":

1925, 17 Dec – SS Matatua arrives Wellington, ex Southampton - Crew:  P. SAVILL - CADET
1926 – SS Matuata – CADET
1928 – SS Mataroa – 5th MATE
1928 – Taranaki – 4th MATE
1930 – Maimoa – 3rd MATE
1932 – RMS Coptic – 3rd MATE
1933 – RMS Coptic – 3rd MATE
1935 – Waipawa – 2nd MATE
1936 – 1937, 28 May – P. SAVILL ceases service with Shaw Savill Line as 2nd MATE / OFFICER.
Location of discharge - unknown 
~~~~~~~~--------------------------
1938-1939 – Peter Standish SAVILL employed as farm labourer, c/- Clayton Station, Fairlie, South Canterbury NZ

Could PHILLIP SAVILL, ergo P. SAVILL of the SS Matatua and PETER STANDISH SAVILL (used SAVILLE after 1946) be one in the same ?   To my mind, yes they could however PROOF is required.

Any assistance is gratefully appreciated.

Kind regards

Ian D. Martyn (Maj. Retd)

[spades]

Hi again, Ian,

You're probably eliminated this already, but have you tried finding a link through the parents of Peter Standish SAVILL, e.g. Mrs Pauline SAVILL (mother), of La Belle, Hautgarde, Nice, France (in 1939) and Peter SAVILL, a tailor 'born in France'?

Who were the parents of Phillip SAVILL of the Shaw Saville Line?

Also, is there any record of the death of that Phillip SAVILL?

Look for the probates of either Pauline or Peter SAVILL (died in France, perhaps?) to see who they left bequests to, and whether Peter Standish SAVILL is mentioned. This route may lead to siblings and then to their descendants.

Spades

[spades]

Wikipedia lists a reference citation on this page which might be worth following up, as it's for a book by a possible descendant.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shaw,_Savill_%26_Albion_Line

Sail to New Zealand: The Story of Shaw Savill & Co., 1858-82. London: Robert Hale. ISBN 0709028091.

Spades

[mckha489]

I can only see one Philip SAVILL b 1907  GRO has MMN as GORDON.

Leonard Webb SAVILL m Ethel Margaret GORDON 1896
Leonard an east India merchant, his father Martin SAVILL an aerated water manufacturer.

Martin was a younger brother of Walter SAVILL and it is he (Walter) who was the Savill of Shaw Savill

So Philip b 1907 was a great nephew of Walter.

A tree on Ancestry has this Philip marrying a Rona Richardson in 1934
In 1939 they both are on a passenger list, arriving UK country of last residence Sudan.  This Philip is an Art Master age 32. So correct age.

However in 1945 there is a crossed out entry for a Philip SAVILL age 38 on a passenger list.  Embarked Sudan.  Occ given as Master Mariner,  proposed address in UK Sudan Govt,  foreign office

Philip SAVILL b 13 Mar 1907 died 28 Jan 1988. Eastbourne  Sussex registration


Added.   1911 Leonard Webb family with Philip

https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7LM-SG9

[mrnz2014]

Thank you Spades for both responses.  I have tried all these options and drawn a blank - the problem I believe is that Peter & Pauline Savill are not the real names of his parents.  I had a Channel Islands researcher from the history society on the islands scruitinize the records for any Savills and all variations of the names - nothing that befits PSS or his 'parents'.

My gut instinct is the family is likely from either Essex, Kent or London proper. Savill was 26 and 360 days on 04 Jan 1940 (he specified this in completing his attestation for NZ Army (b: 8 Jan 1913). The form was completed & signed in his own hand without the hint of hesitation or correction with the exception of inserting ^ "Standish" on the line requiring full name, and signature, which leads me to think his answers were genuine (if unrehearsed?).  He listed himself as SAVILL (minus the E). 

The one link I have yet to delve into is with a Dr. Chris N. Savill in Parnell Auck whom I believe is connected, as is an Amberley farming family, one of two grandsons of Frederick James Savill emigrated in the 1910s and established a very successful station called "St Helens" near Hanmer during the first half of last century. Frederick was the 4th son (11 children) of Walter SAVILL of the shipping line, and Matilda Helen BURNESS.

Regards, Ian