New Zealand Veterinary Corps
Donald Henry RAIT
Captain
Died 26 November 1917 · Aged 41
His story
Captain Donald Rait was born at Croydon, Surrey, on 3 September 1876 and qualified MRCVS in July 1899. He subsequently emigrated to New Zealand, where by 1902 he was working as a government veterinarian at Christchurch. He was appointed a Captain in the New Zealand Veterinary Corps in 1908.
Rait left New Zealand on 14 December 1914 and served for about two years in Egypt with the 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section. He was discharged from the New Zealand Veterinary Corps on 26 April 1917 on medical grounds and returned to civilian veterinary work.
On the morning of 26 November 1917 he was fatally injured after being kicked by a horse at Palmerston North. He received a military funeral and was buried in Palmerston North Cemetery.
There is a genuine documentary variation in his middle name. Earlier New Zealand records use Donald Henry Rait, while later military records frequently give Donald Harry Rait. The memorial retains the earlier form in its heading while recording the variation here rather than silently choosing between the two.
Before the war
- Nationality
- New Zealand
- Date of Birth
- 3 September 1876
- Place of Birth
- Croydon, Surrey, England
- Veterinary College and Date of Graduation
- Royal Veterinary College - July 1899
Military service
- Last Rank
- Captain
- Regiment/Service
- New Zealand Veterinary Corps
- Secondary Regiment
- 2nd Mobile Veterinary Section
- First Theatre of War
- Egypt 1915
Medals and commemoration
- Name on RCVS Honour Board
- No
- Name In Officers who died in Great War
- No
Death and burial
- Date of Death
- 26 November 1917
- Age at Death
- 41
- Place of Death
- Palmerston, New Zealand
- Cause of Death
- Kicked by a Horse
- Cemetery
- Palmerston North Cemetery
- Location
- Palmerston, New Zealand
- Grave Reference
- Block 30 Plot 13
- Commonwealth War Grave
- No
Sources and further reading
Cite this biography
Graham Hodgkins and Pete Matthews, “Donald Henry Rait”, Veterinary Virtual War Memorial, https://vetsremembered.org/people/donald_henry_rait/.
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