b. 27/09/1880 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. d. 03/06/1918 Mount Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand.
DATE OF AM ACTION: 03/06/1918 Mount Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand.
Arthur H Ambury AM
Arthur was born in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, and the family emigrated to New Zealand in 1893 when he was 13. Arthur attended New Plymouth Boys’ High School from 1893-1897, and on leaving school, he established his own firm of gentleman’s outfitters. He married Annie Newbold in 1906, and they went on to have four children, Charles, Kathleen, Henry and Doreen. Following his death on Mount Egmont, the Albert Medal was presented to Annie by the Governor-General of New Zealand in Wellington on 8th May 1919.
AM CITATION:
On the 3rd June, 1918, Mr. Ambury, with his wife and two friends, were climbing on Mount Egmont, Taranaki, New Zealand, and had reached an altitude of about 5,500 feet when a call for help was heard from above. Two members of Mr. Ambury’s party immediately commenced to climb to render assistance, and Mr. Ambury, after placing his wife in a safe place, went up after them. At a height of about 7,300 feet they found two climbers, one of whom had been hurt. They took charge of the injured man, and his companion, who had an ice axe, proceeded higher up the mountain to assist a third member of the party. The injured man had been assisted down some 1,000 feet and Mr. Ambury had nearly reached the party who were descending a steep ice slope in which they had to cut steps, when one of the two men in the rear slipped and slid down the slope at a terrific pace. Mr. Ambury, who was about 60 feet lower down, braced himself and endeavoured to stop the falling man bv seizing his alpenstock which was trailing behind him, but the alpenstock was jerked out of his hand and he was precipitated down the slope of the mountain. He was an experienced mountaineer and must have realised how terrible a risk he was running in endeavouring to save the falling man.
BURIAL LOCATION: TE HENUI CEMETERY, NEW PLYMOUTH, NEW ZEALAND.
Baptist Row 4 Lot 6 Plot 1
LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.
