Napier RSA chief John Purcell gets top award

Napier RSA award recipients, from left, Don Fraser, John Purcell and Brian Strong with national vice-president Bob Hill. Photo / Supplied

At the recent RNZRSA National Council meeting Napier RSA president John Purcell was called forward.

He was called forward to become part of a remarkable and highly esteemed list of people who had excelled within the realms of both military service and post military service across the wide landscape of the Returned and Services' Association.

Purcell, who has been within the RSA ranks for 53 years, was presented with the highest award going — the RNZRSA Badge in Gold.

His name is now in the company of past recipients like Willie Apiata VC, HRH Prince Harry and Nancy Wake.

"I was surprised," he said.

"When you know who was awarded the previous ones."

He said the greatest thrill was that it had been determined by the national body, his "peers".

"They put it to the floor and that meant so much to me — I am extremely humbled by it."

He was also humbled that he now possessed the honour the RSA had awarded to the late Nancy Wake, for her remarkable service alongside the French Resistance movement during WWII.

Purcell said for too many years New Zealand born Wake's exploits had gone unrecognised, despite countries like Australia, France, the USA and Britain honouring her service.

"That is the one I felt so much for because she had been initially denied an award.

"So the RSA stepped in and we presented the Badge in Gold to her."

Purcell did his military service with the Royal New Zealand Navy, where while serving aboard HMNZS Pukaki he witnessed the British nuclear bomb testing off Christmas Island in 1957 and 1958.

After leaving the Navy he joined the Department of Corrections, becoming Superintendent of the old Napier Prison and the first Superintendent of Mangaroa.

And 53 years ago he also joined the RSA, initially in Wellington in 1966 before joining, and working in with, RSAs in Ohura, Turangi, Whanganui, Palmerston North and Taradale.

He joined the Napier RSA in 1991 and alongside the late Jim Blundell became heavily involved in sorting out war pensions for both veterans, and the widows of those who had died.

They toiled and succeeded, and he said Blundell was the core driver of the work.

"It was just great to see widows start to receive a pension, some 10 years after their husband had passed away."

And after 26 years of involvement in district welfare work, alongside his presidential duties, he is not about to step back.

Nor from the president's role which he has carried out for 13 years — making him one of the longest-serving presidents in the Napier RSA's 100-year history.

Purcell said the people he had worked with within the RSA through the years were devoted to their duties and inspiring to others.

"As long as they still want me I'll turn up," he said with a smile.

He said the highest honour also belonged to one other — wife Patricia.

"I could not have done what I've done without her wonderful support and the way she has stood by me."

At a special home presentation event at the Napier RSA last Friday, two others were recognised with national vice-president Bob Hill making the presentations.

The association's patron Don Fraser received the RNZRSA Gold Star and certificate.

The Gold Star is for 15 years' service to the RSA, where Fraser had been a committee member for five years, followed by five years as vice-president and five years as patron — and for 12 years he had been a financial controller for the RSA.

Brian Strong received a RNZRSA Certificate of Merit for 10 years' service, as executive member for six years and four years as vice-president of the Napier RSA.

He was also for a short time the district vice-president.