MACHATTIE, Daniel Hay
Personal Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Nationality | New Zealand |
| Date of Birth | 29 July 1879 |
| Place of Birth | Aberdeenn, Aberdeenshire, Scotland |
| Veterinary College and Date of Graduation | Glasgow - December 1900 |
Military Service
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Last Rank | Captain |
| Regiment/Service | New Zealand Veterinary Corps |
| Secondary Regiment | |
| Secondary Unit | |
| First Theatre of War | Egypt 1915 |
Casualty Details
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Date of Death | 20 December 1915 |
| Age at Death | 37 |
| Place of Death | Alexandria, Egypt |
| Cause of Death | Self Inflicted Wounds |
Cemetery
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Cemetery | Cairo War Memorial Cemetery |
| Location | Cairo, Egypt |
| Grave Reference | F.173 |
| Commonwealth War Grave | Yes - CWGC Headstone |
| Emblem or Badge on Headstone | Silver Fern |
Honours and Memorials
| Attribute | Details |
|---|---|
| Name on RCVS Honour Board | Yes |
| Name In Officers who died in Great War | No |
| Medals and Awards |
|
Biography
Captain Daniel Hay Machattie MRCVS was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, on 29 July 1879.
He graduated from Glasgow University in December 1900. By 1905, Daniel Machattie was living in New Zealand. The Electoral Rolls shows his occupation as a Veterinary Surgeon.
With the outbreak of war in August 1914, Machattie enlisted in the New Zealand Army at Leeston, and on 14 December 1914, he embarked for Egypt. He had been promoted to Captain in November 1914.
In Egypt, Machattie commanded a newly created Veterinary Hospital in Cairo. He later was attached to the Australian Remount depot at Heliopolis.
Captain Machattie died on 20 December 1916. The inquest into his death found that he had died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
A letter written to his brother the day before his death provides an insight into Captain Machattie’s thinking at the time:
Before Captain Machattie’s death, he had been in and out of hospital throughout 1916, suffering from heart problems.I hope Mother, and you are well. Tell her I am very sorry to do this and that she should not let it worry her too much. But I have suffered from sleeplessness for a good many years now, and it seems to me this is the only way to get some rest.”