WJV Voss Combattant de la Somme 1914-18-1940 Medal

Bronze circular medal Obverse: Two ancient spearman, fighting side by side, with shields forward and capes flowing. One represents France (the Gaulish Cock) the other Britain and the Commonwealth (British Lion). Above the soldiers is a Nymph." La Somme", reclined with her left forearm resting on her urn, out of which flows the river, meandering through the plain of Picardy. Text at the bottom : 'BATAILLES DELA SOMME JVILLET-NOVEMBRE MCMXVI'. The reverse is plain with text only. 'COMBATTANTS DE LA SOMME 1914-1918-1940'. The ribbon consists of three stripes, two outer gold stripes and one central blue stripe, which represents the blue of the Somme river flowing through the golden crops. The ribbon is secured to the medal with a copper ring. This was awarded to James Walter Valentine Voss (TKS 1912-14). Jim as he preferred to be known, travelled from Queensland from the age of 11 to Tudor House before boarding in Macarthur House. A Lance Corporal in the Cadet Corps Jim formed lifelong friends at school with whom he continued to correspond for over 70 years. Travelling to England after finishing School, Jim enlisted in the Royal Artillery and while fighting on the Western Front lost the sight of both his eyes as a result of a shell blast. Finding himself with a disability that would force most of us to retreat, Jim attended St Dunstan’s Hospital for the Blind where as part of his rehabilitation he was taught to type with the assistance of a braille typewriter. Jim travelled widely including visits to Australia visiting family and his alma mater. For many years he spent 6 months annually in Brussels where he worked developing aids for others with sight impairments. He published a book entitled “The Light of the Mind” where he wrote about the heightening of his other senses, skills that came to his aid when at the age of 78 he suffered as the result of a home invasion. During WWII he and his then wife moved out of London when their flat was reduced to rubble during an air raid, but escaping to rural England was no safer, their home suffering smashed windows through several air raids. Being one not to sit by idly in a time of turmoil, Jim, fluent in French worked with the BBC broadcasting to Belgium during the war. Jim passed away in 1980, aged 92. He regularly corresponded with the Editor of the School Magazine and in 1968 received a medallion commemorating 50 years of service working with the blind.