GALLANTRY MEDALS, ORDERS & DECORATIONS
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Chief Officer Gerard Lee Tuppen
Rangoon Municipal Fire Brigade
Defence Medal
1935 Jubilee Medal
1937 Coronation Medal
Copy research. Gerard Lee Tuppen was born 21 June 1883 in Willesborough, Kent and educated at St. John's Choir School, St. Leonard's on Sea 1892-95 and St. Alban's Grammar School 1895-99. Goldsmith's Technical Institute, New Cross 1900-1902. Engineering Apprentice 1899 to 1903. Employed by Merryweather and Sons Ltd, London, who sent him around the world to work on fire fighting equipment.
July to November 1904 in charge of electrical light installation for Rio de Janeiro Police Fire Float.
April to November 1905 in charge of installing machinery for Steam Pumping Float in Venice.
November 1905 to November 1906 in charge of erecting and testing a petrol Fire Float in Huelva, Spain.
June to August 1910 constructed and transported a Motor Fire Engine to Riga, Latvia for demonstration and testing.
August to April 1911 constructed and transported motors and machinery to Montevideo, Uruguay and provided instruction in use.
April to July 1911 conducted trials and instructions on 3 Motor Fire Engines in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
July to November 1912 construction and transported special Motor Fire Engines to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and provided instruction.
1918 a Founder Member of the Institution of Fire Engineers
July 1920 sailed to Rangoon, Burma and appointed Chief Officer and Engineer, Rangoon Municipal Fire Service.
Copy newspaper picture included of him attending a conference of Chief Fire Engineers from the around the Empire, held in Leicester.
In 1935 he filed a patent for a Refuse Destructor: "Gerard Lee Tuppen, Burma, India".
On 1935 Jubilee medal roll as "Central Fire Brigade, Rangoon".
January 1938 arrived in the UK with his wife and daughter. Intended residence is London.
Fire Protection and A.R.P. Book 1940 lists "four Engineering Inspectors" including G. Lee Tuppen.
He died in Tunbridge Wells 8 February 1954.
Group of Three: £500
Corporal Sidney Herbert Lane
Gloucestershire Regiment
Military
Medal
12893
CPL. S.H. LANE. 8/GLOUC. R
1914/15
Star
12893
L.CPL. S.H. LANE. GLOUC:R.
British
War Medal 12983
CPL. S.H. LANE. GLOUC.R.
Victory
Medal
12983
CPL. S.H. LANE. GLOUC.R.
Sidney
Herbert Lane was born in Bishops Cleeve, near Cheltenham in 1890. In
1901 the family were living in Chaceley, near Tewkesbury. Worked for
Midland Railway as an assistant shunter. Served with the 8th
Battalion Gloucestershire Regiment. Military Medal awarded London
Gazette 12 December 1917, giving home as "Cinderford, Glos."
It seems that his parents had taken up residence in the Forest of
Dean. The local newspaper reported: "Corpl. S.H. Lane, eldest
son of Mr and Mrs Lane, of Ruspidge (Cinderford), has been awarded
the military medal and the ribbon bar for bravery, after being at the
front since 1915 with the Gloucesters." Another article tells of
three military medal winners being presented at a public meeting: "A
crowded and enthusiastic audience took part in another very happy
event at the (Cinderford) Town Hall on March 11 .... a public meeting
to do honour to three more of the boys from the front - Sgt. Joseph
Buffrey, Corpl. Sidney Lane and Lance-Corpl. Wm. Bowkett... Corpl.
Lane thanked briefly thanked the people, the audience readily
accepting his reason for not saying more that he was passed only a
few weeks ago." It is not clear what this statement means?
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March 1918 married Susan Nicholls in St. Pauls Church, Gloucester. He
is described as "Soldier on active service". She died in
May 1928.
1929 he married Elsie Pegler in St. Pauls Church,
Gloucester.
1939 living in Gloucester and worked as a
Railway Guard (Passenger). It would be suprising if he did not earn a
Defence Medal as well.
Group
of Four: £600
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