2014 marked the one hundredth anniversary of the commencement of World War I on the 28th April 1914. 2015 marked the 100 years since Gallipoli, which we remember on the 25th of April (ANZAC Day). Here is a brief guide to the primary resources held at the John Kinder Theological Library relating to the Anglican Church’s involvement in World War One, and especially Armed Forces chaplaincy.
WWI Chaplains & Clergy Resource at the Kinder Library
The majority of records relating to individual chaplains and clergy are not held at the John Kinder Theological Library, but by local and Diocesan repositories or local public libraries, museums and archives.
Our collections generally focus on the national and administrative records, such as the Military Affairs Committee, which was set up in 1916 to organise Armed Forces Chaplains and the responsibilities of the Anglican Church during wartime.
ANG 55 Military Affairs Committee. Records of the Committee
The main content for World War I is the minutes of the Committee, financial and inventory records, especially relating to the furnishings for Church of England Recreation Huts and chapels. There are a few secretaries’ records for this period. Of particular interest are the various patriotic Society handbooks, pamphlets, leaflets and brochures produced.
ANG 102 Anglican Men’s Society in New Zealand
The New Zealand branch of the Church of England’s Men’s Society was formed in 1904 in Auckland. These records start with records of the national conferences from 1910 to 1918, and of the national executive 1914-1919. In the membership records, there are lists of members in military camps and a “war roll”.
SJC 4 Saint John’s College Association
Association of alumni students from St John’s Theological College and the Church of England Grammar School. Some of these records relate to students who enlisted in World War I.
We ran a series on the ANZACs here on our website, so you can see the full collection of those stories here.
There are two sets of personal records that have reference to World War I
KIN 8: Clive Mortimer-Jones papers. Scrapbooks, photographs and letters of the Rev. Clive Mortimer-Jones, who was an Army Chaplain during World War One.
KIN 40: Percy Temple Williams Diaries, including the period 1915-1917 when he was serving as an army chaplain. Two diaries which cover the start of his war service and his voyage home May 1917.
Other useful WWI and the Anglican Church Resources
Other useful sources for the World War I period include the bishops’ “charges” or addresses to the General Synod and their own Diocesan Synods, in which there is often comment about the war and especially the Anglican perspective.
The rest of the synod volumes show the issues that the Church was still dealing with back home, sometimes related to war, sometimes not. The General Synod volumes (ie those of the national meeting) are online as part of Pūmotomoto.
Web Resources from other places that will include Anglican chaplains
- Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database
- New Zealand History Online
- World War One Centenary – government site
- Commonwealth War Graves Commission
Also see: The Life of a New Zealand Hospital Ship Chaplain in WWI and WWII
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