1899: SCHOOLS BREAK-UP. GLENAVY. The school broke up for the midsummer holidays on Thursday with a distribution of gift books and prizes, followed by a picnic and sports for the children. The attendance of children's parents and friends was huge. The sum of £12 was spent in prlzes. Rain unfortunately interfered with the sports, and an adjournment was made to the schoolroom, where an abundant supply of tarts, lollies, tea, and other refreshments was given out and all thoroughly enjoyed themselves. First Prize awarded to Bruce Pelvin. School closed for six weeks, reopening on Feb. 5 th 1900.

He was educated at Waimaitai (1902 -1904) and Timaru Boy's High School and after leaving, was for some time in the employ of Messrs Beckingham and Co., Timaru (trade cabinet maker)

1913 - Bruce left New Zealand to work at Toowoomba, Australia.

1915 - Bruce PELVIN enlisted at Brisbane - Units 9 Battalion; 49 Battalion, Australian Mounted Rifles and embarked from Brisbane, Queensland on board HMAT A55 Kyarra on 16 April 1915

Name:Bruce Pelvin; Last Address: Mill Road Waimate; Next of Kin Name: A PELVIN; Relationship: Father; Address: Mill Road Waimate

He saw service at Gallipoli, where he was slightly wounded.

1915 - He was invalided to Malta with dysentery and fever.

26 Oct:, AUSTRALIAN LIST SYDNEY, 25th October. The ninety-eighth Dardanelles list shows:—

Killed in action: Forty-six men, including S.M. S. G McWhirter and Pte. H. Love
Died of wounds: Ten men.
Died of illness : Eight men.
Wounded: Ninety-nine men, including Pte. C. A. Ross (disembarked at Malta), Ptes. T. O'Connor and A. F. Simpson.
Ill : Four hundred and ten, including Dvr. W, H. Frame and Ptes. K. W. McKnight and B. Pelvin (disembarked at Malta), Pte. T. A. Ryan (in hospital at Birmingham).
Missing: Eight men.

1916 - Killed in action 4 Sep 1916 after having survived Gallipoli. 
Fairlie-born John McLeod who also enlisted in Australia, wrote in his war diary these poignant words which conjure the visual scene and sadness at the reality of Bruce Pelvin's death and there, like so many others, he could have no grave: "Met Cpl. Short out of A Coy 69th  who told me something of Bruce Pelvin's fate on Sept. 3rd. Saw him lying out in a shell hole, pretty far gone."

PELVIN, Cpl. Bruce Fawthrop, 1996. 49th Bn. AIF. 4th Sept., 1916 Killed in action in France. Age 25. Son of Alfred and Mary M. Pelvin, of Waimate. Born at Waimate. Attended Waimate and Timaru High School. Left NZ at at 23. He was a labourer. Grandson of the late Colour Sergeant Major Richard Pelvin HM Regiment 51st Pensioners from the Regular British Army. Memorial Panel: 149 Cemetery or Memorial Details: 26 Villers Bretonneux-France. Place of Enlistment: Brisbane, QLD. Bruce Fawthrop Pelvin was son of Alfred Pelvin 1861 - 1921. Alfred was the 4th child of Richard Pelvin. His mother was Mary Robertson nee Bruce 1863 - 1926, dau of James Fawthrop Bruce and Ann Garvey nee Calder, mill owner, Waimate.

Obituary : Mr A. Pelvin of Waimate has received word that his second son, Sergeant Bruce Pelvin, 26 years of age has been killed in action in France. Sergeant Pelvin was born in Waimate and was educated at Waimataitai and Timaru Boys High School. He was for some time in the employ of Messrs Beckingham and Co., Timaru (trade cabinet maker) and went afterwards to Australia where he enlisted in the main body. He got away with the 5ths to Egypt and saw service in Gallipoli, where he was wounded. Later he was invalided to Malta with dysentery and fever (ex Maheno, Sept 23, sick AUS Forces 21st Oct 1915 Disembarked Malta AUS Forces 28th Oct 1915. At the time of his death (4 Sep 1916 FRANCE) he was with the machine gun section. He was well known in Timaru as an athlete and was a member of the Star Football Club. Two of his brothers are at the Front, one older and one younger than himself. Their grandfather, Mr R Pelvin, an early farmer on the Timaru Downs, was a British Army Veteran.

Memorial details - 26 Villers Bretonneux-France Memorial Panel 149

PELVIN, Cpl. Bruce Fawthrop, Service No 1996; 9th Battalion, 3rd Bde, 5th Reinforcement, 49th Bn. AIF.Killed in action "In the Field" in France near Poziers. 3/9/1916. Place of death or wounding Mouquet Farm, France. Age 25. Son of Alfred and Mary M. Pelvin, of Waimate. Born at Waimate. Attended Waimate and Timaru High School. Left NZ at 23. Age 23 in 1915. 5ft 6¼ in. 10 stone. Chest 34½ - 36½. inches. He was a labourer. Grandson of the late Colour Sergeant Major Richard Pelvin HM Regiment 51st Pensioners from the Regular British Army. Memorial Panel: 149 Cemetery or Memorial Details: 26 Villers Bretonneux-France.Place of Enlistment - Toowoomba, QLD. He was single, a Presbyterian, a labourer. Next of Kin - Father, Alfred Pelvin, Mill Road, Waimate. Effects One bank book.

 Obituary : Mr A. Pelvin of Waimate has received word that his second son, Sergeant Bruce Pelvin, 26 years of age has been killed in action in France. Sergeant Pelvin was born in Waimate and was educated at Waimataitai and Timaru Boys High School. He was for some time in the employ of Messrs Beckingham and Co., Timaru (trade cabinet maker) and went afterwards to Australia where he enlisted in the main body. He go away with the 5ths to Egypt and saw service in Gallipoli, where he was wounded. Later he was invalided to Malta with dysentery and fever (ex Maheno, Sept 23, sick AUS Forces 21st Oct 1915) Disembarked Malta AUS Forces 28th Oct 1915]. At the time of his death he was with the machine gun section. He was well known in Timaru as an athlete and was a member of the Star Football Club. Two of his brothers are at the Front, one older and one younger than himself. Their grandfather, Mr R Pelvin, an early farmer on the Timaru Downs, was a British Army Veteran.

Embarkations: From Brisbane, Queensland on board HMAT A55 Kyarra on 16 April 1915; Age on arrival in Australia 23; Religion Presbyterian; Occupation Labourer; Marital status Single; Age at embarkation 23; Enlistment Date 13 January 1915; Rank on enlistment Private; Unit name 9th Battalion, 5th Reinforcement;AWM Embarkation Roll number 23/26/2; Unit from Nominal Roll 49th Battalion; Fate Killed in Action 4 September 1916; Place of death or wounding - Mouquet Farm, France - he has no known grave - Commemoration details Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux, France

Villers-Bretonneux is a village about 15 km east of Amiens. The Memorial stands on the high ground ('Hill 104') behind the Villers-Bretonneux Military Cemetery, Fouilloy, which is about 2 km north of Villers-Bretonneux on the east side of the road to Fouilloy.

The Australian National Memorial, Villers-Bretonneux is approached through the Military Cemetery, at the end of which is an open grass lawn which leads into a three-sided court. The two pavilions on the left and right are linked by the north and south walls to the back (east) wall, from which rises the focal point of the Memorial, a 105 foot tall tower, of fine ashlar. A staircase leads to an observation platform, 64 feet above the ground, from which further staircases lead to an observation room. This room contains a circular stone tablet with bronze pointers indicating the Somme villages whose names have become synonymous with battles of the Great War; other battle fields in France and Belgium in which Australians fought; and far beyond, Gallipoli and Canberra.

On the three walls, which are faced with Portland stone, are the names of 10,885 Australians who were killed in France and who have no known grave. The 'blocking course' above them bears the names of the Australian Battle Honours.

After the war an appeal in Australia raised raised £22,700, of which £12,500 came from Victorian school children, with the request that the majority of the funds be used to build a new school in Villers-Bretonneux. The boys' school opened in May 1927, and contains an inscription stating that the school was the gift of Victorian schoolchildren, twelve hundred of whose fathers are buried in the Villers-Bretonneux cemetery, with the names of many more recorded on the Memorial. Villers-Bretonneux is now twinned with Robinvale, Victoria, which has in its main square an impressive memorial to the links between the two towns.