Vincent George “Vince” Spain

Trooper · NZ #1149 · T Patrol

What this roll records

THREE MENTIONS IN HIS OWN DISTRICT PAPERS, FOUND 27 AUGUST 2026, AND THEY GIVE HIM A WAR AND AN AFTERWARDS. (1) WOUNDED: the Otago Daily Times of 22 March 1941, under “ALEXANDRA”, reports that “Advice has been received that Trooper V. G. Spain, who was wounded in the Middle East some time ago, is now greatly recovered, and that he expects to be back with his unit, the Long Range Desert Patrol.” Nothing on this card said he had been wounded. (2) PROMOTED: the same paper on 9 June 1942, under “CENTRAL OTAGO”, has “Corporal V. Spain, of the Long Range Desert Patrol” proposing a toast at an R.S.A. function - so he was a Corporal by mid-1942, where this roll holds him as Trooper. (3) AND THE FIRST REUNION: the Alexandra Herald of 19 June 1946, under “PERSONAL”, records that “Mr V. G. Spain, who has been to Wellington attending THE FIRST REUNION OF THE LONG RANGE DESERT GROUP, returned today.” THAT LAST LINE DATES SOMETHING FOR THE WHOLE ROLL, not just for him: the Association’s first reunion was held in Wellington in June 1946. He is the only man on this roll so far placed at it by name. All three items are short paragraphs inside general district columns, so they are recorded here rather than scanned. Sources: Otago Daily Times, 22 March 1941 and 9 June 1942; Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, 19 June 1946; all via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

AKA "Vince" added from LRP Roll. Source: LRP Roll (Original LRP Nominal Roll as at 5 Dec 1940, Capt L H Browne).

Cenotaph record linked. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Farmer in civilian life. Embarked/served with 2nd Division Cavalry. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

Farmer in civilian life. Source: Auckland War Memorial Museum Online Cenotaph.

HE DIED ON 8 DECEMBER 1980 AT CHRISTCHURCH. The Press notice sets out his service exactly as this roll holds it — “SPAIN, Vincent George (No. 1149, 2nd N.Z.E.F., Div. Cav., L.R.D.G.), of 3 Hanrahan Street, Christchurch” — THE NUMBER, THE UNIT AND THE PARENT REGIMENT ALL THIS CARD’S OWN. He was the husband of Julia and the father of Kate, Jim, Sandy and Steve. “Requiescat in pace.” No flowers. Requiem Mass was celebrated in the Catholic Church of St John the Baptist at ALEXANDRA on 11 December 1980, AND HE WAS BURIED IN THE ALEXANDRA CEMETERY — he was taken home to Central Otago to be buried. Source: the Press, 11 December 1980, via Papers Past (National Library of New Zealand).

See him in the full roll →

Where this comes from

• Missing info added from the LRDG Preservation Society’s Troopers roll.
• Murzuk Raid roll (courtesy Tarek el Mahdy)
• Additional sources (AWMM Online Cenotaph). Nominal Roll 2NZEF No. 1, p.170.

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Not By Strength But By Guile