The unfortunate Wallace boys of Timaru - Joseph, James and George.

6/568 Lance-sergeant Joseph Henry Wallace, (3/10/1892-7/8/1915). "with genuine regret"

 Lance-Sergeant Joseph Henry Wallace, of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion, who is reported as being wounded, is a son of Mr James Wallace, land agent, of Timaru, and previously of Lauriston. Wallace, senior and junior, are both well known in the Ashburton County.  -Ashburton Guardian, 22/5/1915.

Mr James Wallace, Timaru, received word on Thursday evening that his son, Sergeant Joseph Henry Wallace, was killed in action on August 7. Sergeant Wallace was educated at the Timaru Main School, and in October would have been twenty-four years of age. After leaving school he was for a while in the employ of Mr Wade, ironmonger. Later he joined the clerical staff of the National Mortgage and Agency Company, where he held the petition of shipping clerk for two and a half years. He then joined the Westport Coal Company, and in this firm rose to be traveller, until about three years ago, when he went into business with his father. He left with the main body as a private, and quickly received promotion, being made a corporal in New Zealand, and rising to sergeant in Egypt. On the hockey field he was a wellknown figure, and he proved a most energetic secretary to the South Canterbury Hockey Association. While hockey was his chief form of sport he also took a lively interest in tennis, and was a player in the Wesley Club. Sergeant Wallace was a member of the Wesley Bible Class. The news of his death has been received with genuine regret, and Mr Wallace has received numerous expressions of sympathy from his many friends.  -Lyttelton Times, 28/8/1915.

Joseph Wallace has no known grave.

21917 Rifleman James Norman Wallace, (6/2/1895-6/12/1917). "the lonely hours"

IN MEMORIAM.

WALLACE. — In loving memory of James Norman, who was killed on December 6th, 1917, in France, fourth son of Mary Elizabeth and the late James Wallace. 

We who loved him sadly miss him, As it dawns another year. 

In the lonely hours of thinking. Thoughts of him are very dear. 

— Inserted by his loving mother, brothers and sisters.  -Timaru Herald, 6/12/1919.

James' unit, the NZ Rifle Brigade, was in the trenches in the Ypres district when he was killed.  The Rifles' Official History has nothing to say about the actual day of his death.  It is possible he was the victim of a German sniper.

James lies in the Menin Road South Cemetery, Ieper, Belgium.

George Percy Wallace, (1886-30/5/1921). "filling the cab with steam"

RAILWAY ACCIDENT. 

AUCKLAND, May 30. A railway engine passing over a turntable ran into the pit and fell on its side. George Percy Wallace, the driver, married, was severely scalded and died this morning. The fireman, W. C. McMillan escaped injury.  -Timaru Herald, 31/5/1921.

ENGINE DRIVER'S DEATH.

VERDICT OF THE CORONER.

ACCIDENTAL OCCURRENCE.

An inquest into the circumstances surrounding the death of Mr. George Percy Wallace, a driver in the railway service, who died at the Auckland Hospital last Monday as a result of scalds received by the overturning of a locomotive, was conducted by Mr. E. C Cutten, S.M., at the Magistrate's Court yesterday. Mr. V. R. Meredith appeared for the Railway Department and Mr. Sullivan for the relatives of deceased.

The evidence showed that the engine driven by deceased left the running sheds at about 8.30 p.m. last Sunday to connect with the Henderson train. As the engine proceeded to the station the gaugeglass broke, filling the cab with steam and preventing the driver or the fireman seeing which line they were on. The engine ran into the turntable, the points of which were set against it, and fell into the pit. Deceased was on the lower part of the engine. The fireman, Mr. W. C. A. McMillan, had a fortunate escape, getting clear as the engine fell. He found deceased inside, struggling in the thick steam. He helped him out through the top of the engine and then obtained assistance. Deceased was severely scalded. He was a very careful driver. Further evidence showed that the onus of seeing that the points were set right lay with the driver. The medical testimony was that deceased died from shock, following extensive scalds. 

The coroner found that the accident arose through the gauge glass of the engine breaking and filling the engine cab with steam. This prevented the driver, whose responsibility it was to watch the points, observing that they were set to the wrong line, and the engine crashed into the pit before it could be stopped. It was purely an unpreventable accident, and no blame was attachable to anyone.  -NZ Herald, 3/6/1921.

Timaru Cemetery. Photo from the Waitaki CC's cemetery search.