John Rodger “Jack” Shepherd
Sergeant Major · NZ #1328 · T Patrol · MID
| Rank | Sergeant Major |
|---|---|
| Service number | NZ #1328 |
| Patrol | T Patrol |
| Regiment | 2nd NZ Divisional Cavalry Regiment |
| Known as | “Jack” |
| Honours | MID |
| Campaign medals | War Medal 1939-45, NZ War Service Medal |
| Record | https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C141315 |
What this roll records
HE IS “JACK SHEPHERD” IN A COMRADE’S LETTER HOME. Trooper Ray Porter #14265 photographed a group against a truck on the CAIRO–ALEXANDRIA ROAD, MARCH 1941, coming back from GIARABUB, and wrote the names on the back. WHY IT CARRIES WEIGHT: this is not an archivist reading faces years afterwards. It is one of the men in the photograph naming the others, within days, in a letter to his mother, who had no reason to be misled. THE MATCH IS ON NICKNAME, PATROL AND DATE, NOT A NUMBER. This roll holds him as John Rodger Shepherd, T Patrol, AKA “Jack”, from a separate source. THERE IS A SECOND SHEPHERD IN T PATROL — Basil Ferries Shepherd #5365, T1, known as “Mick” — and he is NOT this man, because Porter writes Jack. The message on the back, in Porter’s hand: “Dear Mum, This snap was taken on the Cairo-Alexandria road when we were returning from Gierabub, Mar ’41. Reading from left to right: Self [Ray Porter (14265)], Martin Crawford (in background), Jack Job (508), Bill Forbes, Jack Shepherd and Allan Nutt (14550). Love Ray xxx” THE PICTURE IS NOT COPIED ONTO THIS SITE. The museum marks it “this image may be subject to copyright”, so this roll quotes the words and points at the original, exactly as it does with newspapers it cannot licence. It is on the Online Cenotaph record for Job, and you can see it here: https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C36002 Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C36002 (photograph and inscription contributed to that record); read 2 September 2026.
On original LRP Roll (5 Dec 1940): T — W/T Op & Tp Leader T; Sgt T Patrol LRDG; SSM A(NZ) Sqn LRDG. Source: LRP Roll (Original LRP Nominal Roll as at 5 Dec 1940, Capt L H Browne).
March 1942 roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy): SSM
Government overseer in civilian life. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.
He embarked as a LANCE CORPORAL, which fills in the foot of the ladder this card already traces — Lance Corporal at embarkation, Corporal on the roll of December 1940, Sergeant of T Patrol, and Squadron Sergeant Major of A (NZ) Squadron. The Museum records no unit against the embarkation. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph, record C141315.
See him in the full roll →Where this comes from
- Missing info added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll.
- AKA added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll (missing information).
- Honours & campaign medals from Online Cenotaph: MID, War Medal 1939-45, NZ War Service Medal. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.
- Murzuk Raid roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy)
- LRDG Nominal Roll, 28 Dec 1940 – Jan 1941 (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy) — roll rank: Corporal
- Additional sources (AWMM Online Cenotaph). Nominal Roll 2NZEF No. 1, p.163. Unit history: Loughnan, R. (1963). Divisional Cavalry. External links: Ngā Taonga (Sgt Shepherd LRDG interview): https://www.ngataonga.org.nz/search-use-collection/search/11734; Johnston, Sarah (2023). With the boys overseas: https://phanza.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Sarah-Johnston-With-the-Boys-Overseas.pdf
This page is part of the Long Range Desert Group roll of members at lrdgarchive.org. If you hold rights to anything on it and would like it credited differently, or taken down, please see Sources and Copyright. It will be dealt with promptly.
Not By Strength But By Guile