Medal, Military
Description
A Military Medal. The obverse features the effigy of King George V with an uncrowned head. " GEORGIVS V BRIT: OMN. REX ET IND:IMP " is marked around the egde of the obverse. The reverse features the crowned royal cypher. " FOR / BRAVERY / IN THE / FIELD " is also marked on the reverse. The text is enclosed in a wreath. 10912 Pte J.E. SHEWRY. N.Z. CYC.BN."is inscribed on the edge. The ribbon has broad dark blue edges which are flanked by a central section of three narrow white and two narrow crimson, stripes. It is mounted as part of a medal group of three.
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Object detail
Tragically David died from injuries received in France in 1917. Ned was wounded twice and awarded the Military Medal for bravery - saving an officers life while under fire. He himself was lucky to survive the war when he was buried alive - only the quick actions of his friends saved him from suffocation. Ned didn't totally abandon his axe. He joked that he only received the Military Medal ‘because I kept the cookhouse supplied with kindling wood!’ But his skills with an axe came to the attention of some top axemen serving with the Canadian, Australian, British and American forces. A sawmill had been established at La Matee Wood to provide timber for trenches and dugouts. "Somebody told them that they had the New Zealand champion chopper there and you'd better sharpen up your axes because you won't have any chance with him," recalled his sister Rose. "They didn't believe it… They thought nobody from New Zealand was going to show them how to chop. When it came to chopping day they did get beaten!" See: A Chip off the old Block – Ned Shewry by Sorrel Hoskin http://www.pukeariki.com/Research/TaranakiResearchCentre/TaranakiStories/TaranakiStory/id/635/title/a-chip-off-the-old-block-ned-shewry.aspx
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