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By: Barnaby Willitts-King26th Nov 2024 6:00PMHi this is my late great uncle Othnial/Bo. I’ve uploaded a photo of him in military uniform to Facebook and another thread here. Brilliant to have come across this page and stories about his trunk and the family which we didn’t know so much about (researching from London). Thanks for sharing and looking after his trunk!

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Trunk belonging to World War I soldier O B A Sharpe of Reefton

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DescriptionA few weeks ago we bought an old trunk from a second hand store in Reefton. What we didn’t expect was to find that the previous owner was a WWI veteran who lived in Reefton. The owners name is on the trunk and we would like to know a little more about him. His initials are O B A Sharpe we found him on papers past as being part of a regiment returning from Europe to Wellington in 1919. We feel very privileged to now be the owners of this very special piece of history. The trunk is going into our BnB to store blankets and I would like to have a piece of information to put with it about OBA Sharpe, if anyone can help I would be very grateful.

Pic of house:
Lynda Ladner
Sharpes home on Bridge street.
Date of PhotoBetween 1st January 1914 and 31st December 1919Map^[1]ContributorKaren Wells

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Location (city or town)ReeftonEventTrunk belonging to World War I soldier O B A Sharpe of Reefton

From Facebook

Date Created31st July 2024CommentsMaye Dunn
Admin
I've done a wee bit of research Othniel Boaz Atton Sharpe was born in Ramsgate Kent England in 1895. He was the youngest of 7 children and the only son of Eber Jachin Sharpe and Philadelphia Rhoda Booth. He enlisted in the Wellington Infantry Battalion 3rd Reinforcement at Trentham 29 dec 1914. When he enlisted he said he was born in 1893 so that he was of age. He was wounded at Dardanelles 24 May 1915. He married Nora Blanche Eden in 1916 in Romford, Essex England. In May 1920 he was the Court Bailiff at Reefton. In 1922 he was to be the Acting Clerk of the Magistrates Court in Reefton and in 1935 was appointed as the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages, Reefton. He resided at 57 Bridge Street, Reefton. He passed away in Reefton in 1971.

Maye Dunn
Admin
He appeared to have had a son named Donald Barry Atton Sharpe who was born 1921 and passed away 1986. He is listed as a schoolteacher and lived Reefton and Sumner.
4h4 hours ago
R
Pauline Sigglekow
What a wonderful old trunk. That’s amazing all the history of him.

Anthony Mort
would be even better if you were able to track down the family of the original owner an return the trunk to the family - that is where it belongs - go on, do the right thing.

Shan Davies
Maye Dunn most likely oba himself had lost it on one of this travels would be great to see it back in the family not only would it hold memories but if it could talk imagine what stories it would tell surely the family would remembered it every chance he had when he came home from the war
lson
Anthony Mort ive bought WWI trunks - family just get rid of them. It's not like they had his rigs and medals in them
ck.

Arthur Eagle
Anthony Mort they probably got rid of it themselves I found that myself when I tracked down a war artifact they were glad to be rid of it

Liz Attree
Anthony Mort oh for goodness sake. If family wanted it it would not be in op shop. Silly thing to say, and to say do it, it's the right thing???????

Dave Palmer
I remember an old guy Sharpe in Reefton, ( referred to as 'Sharpie') by my parents. He used to walk past home in Reefton with a pair of Scottish terriers on a lead, one was black ,the other white. He told me one day he called then Fish and Chip. Only a kid at the time so he could have been having me on. Tall slimish guy with grey hair.
Love the initials though, O.B.E.
Arthur Bass
O B E Sharpe was the Magistrate at Reefton.

Arthur Bass
I have his sinature on my birth certificate.
4h4 hours ago

Lynda Ladner
Sharpes home on Bridge street.
May be an image of text

Claire Ward is he at the cemetery

Maye Dunn
Admin
Brian I looked in the records but he wasn't there.
5h5 hours ago

Margaret Simpson
His son Don Sharpe was a teacher at Sumner Primary School for many years, a very kind man with a lovely sense of humour

Kevin O'Regan
Margaret Simpsonha ha. And a length of dredge rubber for a strap. A smack with that no one went back for seconds

Marilyn Paterson
What a find, wonderful history!
5h5 hours ago

Velma Donaldson
Great find. A real treasure chest with all that history.

Margaret Grant
So cool such history im pleased its in your hands now with love I do remember seeing it at Reefton when I was looking for old suit cases.

Sheryl O'Leary
Archives New Zealand has WW1 records. Check out their website.

Sue Hampton
Blacks point museum. Peter Sharpe unsure if the same family.

Ruth Jane
A true man of Kent.

Claire Ward
Admin
https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/11521?keywords=
41 Bridge St - home of O.B.E Sharpe , Court Registrar, Reefton. July 1977.
WESTCOAST.RECOLLECT.CO.NZ
41 Bridge St - home of O.B.E Sharpe , Court Registrar, Reefton. July 1977.

Marcia Lumsden
My parents knew Bo and Pud Sharpe very well. Their only child Don was at Waitaki Boys with my Dad and they remained close friends until my Dads death in 1969. Don was a teacher at Sumner Primary school as Margaret has said. He was a lovely kind and gentle man with great sense of humour. Very like his Dad.
As children we visited the Bridge St house and it was a fascinating place.Bo and Pud were just lovely people. Each time we visited from Rangiora , Bo was always in shorts and sandals. He was tall and thin and brown as a berry. Puds baking was plentiful and so delicious.
I’m pleased Bo’s trunk is still in Reefton. They just wanted to be as far away from the UK and war years as possible and Reefton was perfect
Don passed away in the 70s from a heart attack . He and his wife Vi had no children.
Don also served during WWII. His wife Vi was an English nurse who suffered greatly during the Blitz. Don stayed on in England after the was until Vi was well enough to travel to NZ.
Checkdomain Parking - www.place.bo
PLACE.BO
Checkdomain Parking - www.place.bo
Checkdomain Parking - www.place.bo

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Trunk belonging to World War I soldier O B A Sharpe of Reefton

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