Archives for August 2023
UPDATE ~ 12/301 Sgt. HARRY BRUCE ~ Website post turns up medals and hat badge.
Read original story here: HARVEY JOHN “Harry” BRUCE
The recent publication of the story regarding a gold Fob named to Harry Bruce unearthed by the Koia brothers from Geraldine, has had a very pleasing sequel in the discovery of Harry Bruce’s medals. After coming across Harry Bruce’s story on the internet, Cherry H. (nee BRUCE) of Christchurch contacted me to advise that she was the owner of Harry’s medals – 1914/15 Star, British War Medal, 1914/18 and the Victory Medal. Cherry happens to be the grand-daughter of Harry’s youngest brother, Sergeant (later Warrant Officer Class 1) Alfred Roy Bruce, NZ Armoured Regiment. It appears Alfred Roy was the most logical brother to hold onto Harry’s medals after the death of their mother, due to Roy’s continued service as a career soldier which had lasted from World War 1 through to the 1950s. The medals and in due course were passed down Roy Bruce’s descendant lineage until Cherry became the latest custodian of not only her grandfather Roy’s medals, but also those of her uncle Harry. Cherry was also fortunate to inherit one a number of service badges from both Bruce brothers including one of Harry Bruce’s hat badges from his time serving with the 8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles.
The revelation of these medals has enabled Cherry to connect with Roy Bruce of Staverley, South Canterbury whom we wrote of in the initial story as custodian of other military item’s which had belonged to Harry. Cherry and her husband Richard recently visited Roy at Staverley to show him the medals, Cherry have only ever met Roy once many years ago when she was a young girl. Roy was delighted to learn Harry’s medals have survived and are in the care of a family direct descendant. Happily that cleared up a question that had bothered Roy for many years, he not knowing whatever had happened to them. Cherry was also able to show Roy a hat badge that had been worn by Harry while he was a member of the 8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles. Roy was able to reciprocate by showing Cherry a very special item of Bruce family memorabilia in the form of a water-colour painting of the Bruce family’s original home “EVINGTON LODGE” that their great grandfather Thomas Bruce had built at 368 Hereford Street in Christchurch. Painted circa 1876 by their great-grand aunt, Thomas’s eldest daughter Mrs Elizabeth Annie Bean, the house survived the generations remarkably well until sadly it finally met its demise as a result of the 2011 Christchurch earthquakes. Damaged beyond repair, “Evington Lodge” was demolished in 2019.
We were pleased to be able to have Harrys’ medals and hat badges mounted for Cherry.
The reunited medal tally is 482.
UPDATE ~ 6/972 Sgt. HENRY VINCENT OWEN ~ WW1 Certificate of Services returned.
In September 2022, the Christchurch South Police with our assistance was able to reunite a Anzac (Gallipoli) Commemorative Medallion they had recovered a year earlier with the Owen family. The medallion currently resides with Sgt Owen’s grand-daughter Susan.
Earlier this year I was again contacted in reference to Sgt. Owen regarding another item of memorabilia named to Sgt Owen. Christchurch resident Gavin R. had been told by a friend of the story we posted about the return of the medallion by Christchurch Police because Gavin was in possession of the illuminated Certificate of NZ Expeditionary Forces Services that had once accompanied Sgt Owen’s medals. Gavin very generously contacted me to ascertain if grand-daughter Susan would like to also have the certificate.
Susan was incredulous that a paper item should turn up after 100+ years named to her grandfather. Undoubtedly it had survived because someone in its past had had the foresight to frame the certificate, and other than some minor water marks and fading, was still in one piece. Gavin and Susan have now met and the certificate has been returned to family ownership.
Thank you Gavin!
You can read the original post here: HENRY VINCENT OWEN