ROBERT GUNN

Sergeant Robert Bell Gunn's family was well known in Christchurch, as his father William was the manager of the Southern Medical Company. Robert Gunn was one of the few Papanui men who was married and prior to the war had worked as an estate agent. He had been promoted to corporal while training at Trentham, and later to sergeant while in France. He was relatively old - 33 - when he enlisted to serve. He was posted to the 3rd battalion of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade and was killed in action on 1 October 1916 at the conclusion of the main phase of the battle of Flers-Courcellette. He is buried at the Beaulencourt British Cemetery at Ligny-Thilloy on the Somme in France.

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