History – Dairy Flat farmer killed in action

He was born in London on September 17, 1889 into a seafaring family – both his father and grandfather were sea captains and his father captained ships that brought immigrants to New Zealand. However, Thomas was keen to become a farmer. Eventually the family imigrated to New Zealand and Thomas took up life on the land. He initially worked as a station hand for Mr E A Iveson at Wharekopae in Gisborne in order to gain experience and save up enough money to buy his own farm in Dairy Flat.Like many early settlers, Thomas looked back to the UK as home and would have undoubtedly been ready to fight for “King and Country” when the call came.Trooper Prosser, Auckland Mounted Rifles, therefore embarked with the Main Body on October 16, 1914 and saw service in Gallipoli. He became ill with dysentery and was hospitalised in Cairo and in London at King George Hospital. He was then sent to the NZ Command depot at Hornchurch in Essex to recuperate before being transferred to the NZ Artillery Brigade in March, 1916. The brigade left for France shortly afterwards.

That same year, Thomas was promoted to Bombardier in the field. He took part in the Third Battle of the Somme in September 1916, where tanks were used for the first time. He would have participated in the sustained artillery fire along the 1000-yard trench line from 100 guns attached to the NZ Division. The NZ troops were heading towards Flers, with High Wood on their left and captured the German-held Switch Trench and Flers village.

There were two more attacks – on September 25 the Battle of Morval took more land to the north and west and in the third Battle (named Transloy), Eaucourt L’Abbaye and Guedecourt were taken. The NZ Infantry were relieved on October 4 but the Artillery remained to support British operations. It was at this time that Thomas was killed in action – on October 15, 1916 – along with 500 other men of the NZ Artillery. Thomas is buried in France, at Bulls Road Cemetery, Flers, Somme.

In his Will, Thomas instructed that his father be paid the 400 pounds he owed him, presumably for help to purchase the farm: his remaining estate was to be shared between his sisters, Blodwyn Clare Prosser and Laura Ngaio Prosser.