Biography:
Born 19 May 1897 at Tauranga, his father pharmacist and dentist Robert Joseph Allely of Great North Road, Avondale, his mother Mary. Allely lived with his parents at 6 Roberton Road. He had previously served in the Post & Telegraph Corps militia. Before enlistment he worked as an engineer for W A Stephenson, Mt Albert, but when he was called up 4 September 1917 the newspapers described him as a telegraph messenger. Allely "failed to parade on concentration to proceed to camp when ordered to do so" by an officer on 18 October 1917. He was apprehended by the authorities and proceeded to camp 9 November 1917. On 10 November 1917, he refused a direct order to take his issue of kit at Trentham. 23 November 1917 he was sentenced to 2 years hard labour. (military file)
A telegram to Allely on his file from Major Jolly, dated 19 October 1917:
"Why did you fail to report for service with Expeditionary Force"?
A letter on his file reads:
Avondale, Oct 20th 1917.
The OC, Auckland Military District
Dear Sir,
Having been balloted for service with the NZ Expeditionary Force, and holding religious and conscientious objections, I am sorry to state that I cannot assist in any way with this war.
Not being a member of any religious body recognisable by the military authorities, I am quite willing to accept whatever consequences my action in declining will lead to.
I will report at Trentham if word is sent to me, otherwise I will be found at the Grand Central Hotel, Wellington.
Change of address has already been notified.
Yours faithfully
B A Allely
According to notes found on Rootsweb
(http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/GENANZ/1999-06/0928503190)
Allely married Muriel Ethel Atkinson in 1921, and they had the following known children: Brian Holland, David Atkinson, Garth Rowe and Margaret Andrews. He died 20 July 1977, and was cremated at Waikumete.
From: http://collettfamilyhistory.net/Part-4-The-Great-Western-Line-Rev.15.htm
Mary Blundell, was referred to as Mamie, and was born at Chediston in Suffolk on 26th November 1871. She sailed to New Zealand with her parents in 1887 where she married Robert Joseph Allely on 18th October 1892 at Auckland. Joseph was born on 25th December 1867 and died at Auckland on 17th February 1968, where Mary also died twenty years earlier on 11th July 1948. The marriage produced just five children, Joseph Calvert Allely (who was born in 1895), Brian Andrews Allely (who was born in 1897), Ethel Sarah Allely (who was born in 1900), Elspeth Mary Allely (who was born in 1904 and who died in 1937), and Margaret Josephine Allely (who was born in 1910).
It is of interest that a direct descendent of Mamie Allely is the New Zealand cricketer Daniel Luca Vettori who was born on 27th January 1979 and who is only the eighth player in Test history to take 300 wickets and score 3,000 runs.
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