- John Denvir – Soldier, POW, Partisan Leader
- Decoding Photos
- New Zealand Medal
- Augustus ‘August’ Karl Frederick Koch
- Lieutenant Colonel J W Moodie
- Private George Clampitt
John Denvir – Soldier, POW, Partisan Leader
by Adam Moriarty, Assistant Curator Heraldry
John had been married for under 6 years to his wife Edna when he departed for Egypt with the 1st Echelon 20 Battalion in January 1940. Then a store man in Christchurch neither he nor his wife yet knew the brave, freedom-fighter he would become in the course of just 5 years.
Medal Group of 2nd Lieutenant John Denvir
John’s story is one full of charm and charcter which we will always remember through his distinct medal group which forms part of a special display in the museum’s new Medal Repository. John Denvir seemed to impress whomever he encountered. He quickly made his way through various ranks for his distinguished actions and natural leadership qualities.
Already promoted to Corporal, Denvir was captured by the Germans in April 1942. He spent 9 months in a POW camp in Yugoslavia and 3 weeks in solitary confinement after his first escape attempt. Although initially thought to have been the means of his demise by the War Office, his second escape was actually successful. In January 1942, he joined a Yugoslavian Partisan band and fought amongst the Slavs for freedom. Soon he headed a 60 strong mounted infantry unit which roamed vast territory.
Decorations of 2nd Lieutenant John Denvir
Wounded four times and a fearless ‘war fighter’, he became affectionately known amongst the Partisans as ‘Corporal Frank’ and found professional recognition amongst the 1st Battalion, Krimski Odred and later the 2nd Battalion of the 4th Slovenian National Freedom Shock where he earned the ranks of Battalion Commander and Lieutenant. Denvir even worked with Force 133 which was a covert organisation arranging British help to the Partisan Forces of Yugoslavia. On returning to the New Zealand Forces he was promoted to the rank of Sergeant and later 2nd Lieutenant. He was awarded the DCM and the Soviet Medal for Valour. This award was unique amongst the New Zealanders of 2NZEF.
Decoding Photos
The National Army Museum Heraldry collection consists not just of medals and trophies, but also the heraldic items found on uniforms such as rank insignia, cap badges, buttons, service chevrons and unit patches.
Visitors to the museum regularly ask how they can learn more about their ancestor from old photos – these identifying heraldic features can shed some light and open doors to further research.
Wound Badge
When you study your old family portraits you may see a light coloured bar on the lower left sleeve of their uniform, this two inch stripe of gold Russian Braid No. 1 is the distinct insignia of the wound stripe.
The Army Orders of August 1916 approved a distinction to be worn by all officers and soldiers who had been declared wounded in any campaign since the start of World War One (4 August 1914). For each additional wound, another stripe was placed on either side in 1/2 inch intervals.
During World War Two this practice continued, however now wounds from previous wars would be signified by a single stripe of red rayon braid (this was irrespective of the number of previous occasions when wounded). The wound stripe was not awarded for accidental injuries, neurosis or cases of physical exhaustion.
The wound stripe may seem a little macabre, but surely inspired confidence in the men as they could see how their comrades had suffered injury and still lived to fight another day.
Service Chevrons
Not to be confused with the wound stripe – service chevrons can often be seen in later photos from World War One on the right sleeve of uniforms. In September 1918 General Orders No. 430 approved the award of chevrons to show service overseas from the start of World War One (4 August 1914).
The chevrons were embroidered 1/4 inch wide by 1 and 1/4 inch long and worn inverted (pointing upwards) on the right forearm (4 inches above the cuff). Each chevron was used to denote 12 months service; a red chevron was used to show service on or before 31 December 1914, and a blue chevron indicated each 12 month period after 1 January 1915.
Again in World War Two this practice was continued however the embroidered design was replaced with a red chevron printed on a khaki background.
Picture: Left Hand Side – WWI service chevron, Right Hand Side – WWII service chevrons.
New Zealand Medal
The New Zealand Medal was instituted on 1 March 1869 for service in the Colony by both Imperial and Colonial Troops during the New Zealand Wars of 1845-47 and 1861-66. The Colonial soldier had to prove he had faced enemy fire or have performed some distinguished service in order to qualify for the medal, whereas the Imperial soldier was awarded the medal if he had merely served in New Zealand.
Many local soldiers did not apply for their medal for a number of reasons. For a start, many of these men could not write. Colonial soldiers also had to provide written proof from their Commanding Officer that they had been under enemy fire. The medal was not available until many years after the wars had ended, which meant it was often difficult to locate these former Commanding Officers. Despite these difficulties, 4,879 medals were issued to members of the Colonial Volunteer units that served during the wars.
The front of the medal shows the profile of Queen Victoria with a veil covering the back of her head. This was the first medal struck after the death of her husband, Prince Albert, and therefore it shows the Queen in mourning.
Augustus ‘August’ Karl Frederick Koch
Augustus Karl Frederick Koch was born in Berlin, Germany in 1835 and studied at the Royal Academy. In his teens he was engaged at the barricades in Berlin in the rising of 1848. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Berlin University and studied art under Mandel (the portrait painter and engraver) and made caricatures for Kladderadatsch.
In the interest of his health, Koch went to sea and became second officer on an East India trader. Being in Auckland when the Austrian frigate Novarra arrived (1858), he was attached to Christian Von Hochstetter’s staff (Franz Julius Von Haast also accompanied Hochstetter), as an artist. He was involved in various expeditions around the Auckland areas and he produced the first large map of Auckland. Most of his drawings are in a museum in Vienna.
After the expeditions, he worked for the Government, surveying and mapping the greater Auckland area. He was also involved in photography and introduced the process of printing from negatives. He then moved to Napier as the first Chief Draughtsman and prepared a large number of maps of the province including the first original plan of Napier. He would later produce lithographed maps of the area and sell them commercially.
At the time he joined the Napier Rifle Volunteers and saw action at Omarunui on 12 October 1866, when the force (under Lieutenant-Colonel George Whitmore) engaged Ngati Hineuru warriors led by Te Rangihiroa. It was a spirited fight and when the Maori surrended, they had lost 21 dead to one Napier Rifle Volunteer (Private Henry Morrison). August Koch would also serve in the Armed Consabulary.
He spent some time as a mining surveyor on the Thames goldfields but finally ended up in Wellington at the Public Works Department as the Chief Draughtsman. He made the parliamentary map of Auckland – Waikato railway. He was a member of the Surveyor’s Association and he was a member (30 years) and chairman (20 years) of the Thorndon school committee. August Konch passed away on 31 December 1901.
Lieutenant Colonel J W Moodie, DSO, ED
Lieutenant Colonel ‘Jack’ Moodie was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for his leadership during the Battle of Kapyong in the Korean War. Throughout the battle the 16 Field Regiment supported Australian and Canadian troops and played a vital part in bringing the attack to a standstill. In doing so the regiment suffered its first battle casualty and was awarded a South Korean Presidential Citation in recognition for their resoluteness during the engagement.
16 Field Regiment was made up of mainly volunteers and its inception, many of whom lacked the artillery experience. Thanks to the enthusiasm, guidance and leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Moodie, the Regiment was welded into a first class artillery machine which stood up to the test of battle.
You can learn more about Lieutenant Colonel Moodie and view his medal group which is currently on display as part of The Gunners exhibition in the Thornton Gallery.
Private George Clampitt
2ND BATTALION 18TH (THE ROYAL IRISH) REGIMENT OF FOOT
On the afternoon of the 24th January 1865 near Nukumaru, South Taranaki, Private George Clampitt in company with three other men from the 2nd Battalion, 18th (The Royal Irish) Regiment of Foot and their Company Commander, Captain Hugh Shaw, rescued a wounded comrade, Pte Connolly, whilst under fire from the enemy, Pte Clampitt carried the wounded comrade on his back to safety whilst the others provided covering fire for their withdrawal. For this act Pte Clampitt was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) (PRO WO 32/7369) and Captain Hugh Shaw was awarded the Victoria Cross.
In the ten years prior to his arrival in New Zealand with the 18th Foot, George Clampitt served with distinction in the Indian Army and was present at various actions before and during the Indian Mutiny with the 1st and 2nd Battalion’s Bengal Fusiliers, he presumably then returned to the UK and later attested for the 2nd Bn 18th Regiment of Foot in southern England before the regiment left for New Zealand in February 1863.
George Clampitt’s medals include (from left to right), The Distinguished Conduct Medal 1854, (DCM) engraved with GEOE CLAMPITT 2ND BN 18TH FOOT, the medal incidentally was the first gallantry medal issued to non commissioned officers and men of the Imperial Army. The second is the India General Service Medal 1854-95 with bar for the action at “PEGU” in 1854, engraved with GEORGE CLAMPITT 1ST BN BENG FUSRS. The third medal is the Indian Mutiny Medal 1858 with bars for action at “LUCKNOW” and “DELHI”, engraved around the rim with GEO CLAMPITT 2nd BATTN BENGAL FUSRS.
The final medal is the New Zealand Medal 1869, it has no year dates on the reverse, and around the rim is engraved 1700 GEORGE CLAMPITT 2ND BATTN 18TH FOOT. George finally took his discharge from the Army in Napier, New Zealand and had also served enough time to have also been awarded a military pension.
This very fine and rare group of medals is one of very few gallantry medal groups from the New Zealand Wars still in New Zealand and able to be viewed by the public as one of the premier medal groups of the National Army Museum collection.
