Catherine Murray Adamson^1,2

Parents:

• Birth*: Catherine Murray Adamson was born circa 1897 at Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, .¹
• She was the daughter of Murray Adamson shipwright, joiner and Sarah Johnston.¹
• Marriage*: Catherine Murray Adamson married Henry Christian Nagel circa 1924.²

• (Witness) Marriage: Catherine Murray Adamson witnessed the marriage of Annie Mary Cowper and Peter Murray Adamson patternmaker on Thursday, 26 June 1913 at 11 Albany Terrace, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, ; 1913 marriages in the district of St Mary in the Burgh of Dundee, ref 171; 1913 on the Twenty-Sixth day of June at 11 Albany Terrace Dundee, signed Peter M Adamson patternmaker journeyman bachelor aged 41 residing at 81 Albert Street Dundee, parents David Henderson Adamson draugtsman (dec) and Catherine Adamson ms Murray; signed Annie M Cowper spinster aged 35 residing 5 Baxter Park Terrace Dundee, parents John Cowper shipping clerk and Margaret Cowper ms Miln (dec); signed H M Davidson ministe ST Andrews Parish, signed Alexander Robertson, Catherine Adamson, witnesses; registered 1913 June 27th at Dundee signed Thos Meek registrar.³
• (Passenger) Passenger List*: Catherine Murray Adamson was mentioned on a passenger list for R:Ship on 13 October 1922 at Southampton, England, . Ship Suffolk, departing 13/10/1922, Steamship line - the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited, bound for NZ [New Zealand]; names and descriptions of British passengers embarked at the port of Soton [Southampton]. Contract ticket no A658; Adamson Miss Catherine, 13 Janefield Place Dundee, saililng class 3, landing at Auckland, occupation HVD [?], female aged 24 not accompanied by husband, last permanent residence Scotland, intended permanent residence NZ Ship Suffolk, departing 13/10/1922, Steamship line - the New Zealand Shipping Company Limited, bound for NZ [New Zealand]; names and descriptions of British passengers embarked at the port of Soton [Southampton]. Contract ticket no A658; Adamson Miss Catherine, 13 Janefield Place Dundee, saililng class 3, landing at Auckland, occupation HVD [?], female aged 24 not accompanied by husband, last permanent residence Scotland, intended permanent residence NZ.⁴ [memo: appears to be travelling alone]
• Married Name: As of circa 1924, her married name was Nagel.²
• (Witness) Death: She witnessed the death of Murray Adamson Nagel on 11 July 1944 at Solomon Islands, ; lost during WW 2 flying over the Solomon Islands: CWGC gives
  Rank: Pilot Officer, Service No: 4211613, Date of Death: 11/07/1944, Age: 20, Regiment/Service: Royal New Zealand Air Force, Awards: Mentioned in Despatches, Panel Reference: Panel 5, Memorial: BOURAIL MEMORIAL, Additional Information: Son of Henry Christian Nagel and of Catherine Murray Nagel (nee Adamson), of Wanganui, Wellington, New Zealand.
  Bourail Memorial: Country: New Caledonia, Identified Casualties: 449, Location Information: Bourail is on the western coast of the island of New Caledonia, which lies approximately 1600 kilometres north of New Zealand.
  The Bourail Memorial is situated in Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery, which lies about 9 kilometres south-east of Bourail, on the main road north and east of the Nera River, which flows into Bourail Bay.
  The entrance to the cemetery is on the south-western side and leads, through a terrace adjoing the Records building, to the wide central avenue which curves between two double rows of graves to the Cross of Sacrifice erected on a raised circular platform at the northern end. The Memorial stands behind the Cross of Sacrifice and commemorates members of the New Zealand Land and Air Forces and Merchant Navy, and members of the Western Pacific Local Forces who died during operations in the South Pacific area, and who have no known grave.
  The men of the Fiji Military Forces who died in this campaign and whose graves could not be located or maintained, are commemorated on the Suva Memorial at Fiji.
  The Memorial consists of a curved screen wall with pierced wing walls of brick. The names are recorded on 12 bronze panels affixed to the main wall; the first nine bear the names of New Zealanders, and the remaining three those of men of the Western Pacific Local Forces.
  Above the panels is the following inscription:
  1939 - 1945 THESE OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE NEW ZEALAND ARMY, THE ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCE AND THE WESTERN PACIFIC LOCAL FORCES SERVED AND DIED IN THE SOUTHERN PACIFIC ON LAND AT SEA AND IN THE AIR AND HAVE NO KNOWN GRAVE.
  Historical Information
  The island of New Caledonia was annexed by France in 1854. In 1942 the Allies used the island as a training ground for jungle and island warfare, and it was here that New Zealand forces prepared for the Solomon Islands campaign. The Headquarters of the South Pacific Command was established at Noumea, the capital, which became the principal United States base for the campaign and the largest forward Allied military and supply base in the South Pacific. No.4 General Hospital was set up in Dumbea Valley, nearly 25 kilometres from Noumea.
  Bourail, on the west coast of the island, was the Headquarters of the 3rd New Zealand Division, which began to arrive in New Caledonia towards the end of 1942. Brigade Headquarters and staging camps were disposed along the main arterial road on the western side of the island, where the principal defences were concentrated and where airfields were built to link the island with the battle zone and the bases in Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and other places in the Pacific.^5,6
  

  Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery; Bourail South, New Caledonia; Plot: Panel 5

  

  Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery, Bourail South, New Caledonia; Plot: Panel 5

  

  Bourail New Zealand War Cemetery, Bourail South, New Caledonia; Plot: Panel 5

Census & Directory Entries

Member of Household	31 March 1901	They was listed as a member of the household of Murray Adamson shipwright, joiner and Sarah Johnston in the 1901 census at 81 Albert Street, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, . Catherine M Adamson, daughter, female aged 3, b Dundee; Murray Adamson, head, married, male aged 33, house Foundry Joiner, b Dundee; Sarah Adamson, wife, married, female aged 33, housekeeper, b Ireland.1
Member of Household	31 March 1911	They was listed as a member of the household of Murray Adamson shipwright, joiner and Sarah Johnston in the 1911 census at 47 Erskine Street, Dundee, Forfarshire, Scotland, . Catherine M Adamson, daur aged 13, at school, born Forfarshire Dundee; Murray Adamson, head, aged 43, married, joiner at jute mill worker, b Forfarshire Dundee; Sarah Adamson, wife aged 42, married 15 years 3 children born 3 children living; 5 persons in household.9
Principal	1925	Catherine Murray Adamson was listed in the electoral roll of 1925 at Fox Road, Mosstown, Patea, New Zealand, , Catherine Murray Nagel, electoral year 1925, number 5320, married, residence Fox Road Mosstown, electrorate Patea.2