The wartime period was a difficult
one for those of German descent, who were suddenly transformed from valued,
hard-working neighbours into enemy aliens, despite having been settled in New
Zealand for many years and being naturalized British citizens. Germany as
a geopolitical entity didn't even exist when the original settlers took sail
for their new home. To deflect unwelcome attention, the village of Sarau was
renamed Upper Moutere, and traditional German customs and spoken German were
abandoned, however they often suffered abuse, bullying at school and
discrimination.
Nonetheless, many enlisted with
the NZ Expeditionary Force, and including John Brunning, twelve of Matthias and
Lena Bruning’s grandsons served during the First World War.
From Marlborough came John
Brunning, son of Dietrich (Dick) Brunning and Betsy Aroa and his cousins Sidney Charles and Arthur Charles Schwass, sons of Frank and
Louisa Schwass. Sidney served in France during WWI. He was wounded and
invalided to England where he met and married English girl, Dorothy Middleton,
whom he brought back to New Zealand with him in 1918. Arthur also returned and
farmed at various locations around Marlborough - Springlands, Awatere, Port
Underwood and Seddon.
Also born in Marlborough were
Clarence and Norman Sigglekow, sons of Richard’s sister Lena Bruning and her
husband William Sigglekow. They were both living at Aporo (Tasman) with their widowed mother when they joined
up. Norman embarked with the Main Body on 16 October, 1914, and served in Egypt
and Turkey. He was killed at Gallipoli on 7 August, 1915. Clarence was working
at the apple orchards of Tasman Fruitlands Ltd before he set out for Egypt on
13 June, 1915. He was wounded in September 1915, but served until the end of
the war, when he returned to New Zealand and married Ethel West. They settled
in Edgecumbe.
From Riwaka came the two brothers, Charles John and William George Harvey , sons of Richard Brunning’s youngest
sister Eleanora and George Harvey, who were born in the Moutere but living at Sandy Bay (Marahau) near Kaiteriteri when they enlisted. Charles Harvey died at Codford Hospital,
England on 7 May 1918, from complications of influenza, William returned to New
Zealand and married Hazel Frater. They made their home at Riwaka.
John's uncle, Charles Christian
Bruning, married Fanny Sarah Clarkson in 1872 and settled in College Street,
Motueka. They had a family of fourteen. Four of their nine sons went off to
war. They were Maurice Henry Bruning who served with the NZ Veterinary Corps and was
wounded at Gallipoli, Henry Lionel (Harry), Frank, who left with the Main
Body on October 16, 1914 and was also wounded at Gallipoli, and Arthur Leslie,
who enlisted with the Australian Imperial Army, Medical Corps, from Brisbane.
He served with the 7th Field Ambulance, 6th Reinforcements, and was
accidentally drowned in the Somme River on 8 May, 1918.
Henry (Harry) Lafrentz, son of
Richard Brunning’s sister Anna (Annie) nee Bruning and Heinrich (Henry) Lafrentz, was born at Redwoods Valley. a small Waimea West farming settlement in the Tasman district. He was working as a farm hand in Upper Takaka before he
embarked with the Main Body on 16 October, 1916. He served in Egypt and Turkey
and was killed in action at Gallipoli during the Battle of Chunuk Bair. He had been reported as "missing" several days earlier, but his official date of death was recorded as 21 August,
1915, the day his body was found and identified at "The Apex" on Rhododendron Spur, by a party of British Territorials.* This information was then passed on to the NZ authorities, who duly added it to Harry's military personnel file.
Henry Lafrentz was the centre of
another Motueka WWI mystery a couple of years ago when a letter dated 1915 was
found on the back of six Tuck's
postcards , set into a picture frame, and
picked up at the Red Cross shop in Nelson. The sender was “Harry” in
Alexandria, Egypt, the recipient “Ettey”
in Takaka, New Zealand. The story of how Coralie Smith from the Motueka
Historical Association tracked down the identities of Harry Lafrentz and Janet
(Ettey) Harwood features in the Motueka Historical Association Journal, Volume
8.*
* Henry LaFrentz ,WWI serial no 7/222, military personnel file, pg (image) 6
Archway Archives NZ
** And So it Began: Volume 8. Further Stories of Motueka Through the
Years, pp 110-116.(2013) Motueka & Districts Association (1980) Inc
Tasman Fruit Lands Ltd, Annual meeting of shareholders
Nelson Evening Mail, 16 March, 1913.
Raphael Tuck & Sons postcards: Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Tuck_%26_Sons
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