Reunited: Benalla’s Graeme Heywood being presented with his great-uncle John Kissick’s World War I medal.
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On November 11 the Benalla Family Research Group (BSFG) had an email asking them to trace living descendants of a Benalla soldier named John Kissick who had been killed at Gallipoli in 1915.
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BSFG President Bill Willett said Susan and Michael Spelic had found a World War I medal with John Kissick’s name engraved on the face of it, and they wanted to hand it back to someone in the Kissick family.
“The Benalla family research team were very familiar with the Kissick/Kissack name, and quite quickly came up with a great-nephew named Graeme Heywood,” Mr Willett said.
Family heirloom: The Dead Man’s Penny Medal that was awarded to John Kissick.
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“We approached Graeme with this story and he gave us permission to give his name and contact details to Susan, which we did. She was delighted.
“Contact was made between the two, and it was arranged for this medal called a ‘Dead Man’s Penny’ to be handed over to Graeme at the Benalla Family Research rooms.
“None of us knew the full extent of the story at this stage, as to where the medal had been found.”
Mr Willett said Robert and Martha Kissick/Kissack married in Victoria in 1877 and went on to have eight children.
“Six were girls, Mary Jane, Catherine, Mabel, Martha, Sarah and Annie,” he said.
“Their two sons were Robert and John. Robert died in 1888 at 13 months of age and is buried with his parents in Benalla Cemetery, leaving John as their precious only son.
“John enlisted on August 18, 1914, at Broadmeadows. He was part of the 4th Light Horse Regiment, and his service number was 292.
“A little over 10 months later on the June 25, 1915, he died aboard the hospital ship Gascon off Gallipoli, from gunshot wounds to the abdomen.
“He was buried ‘at sea’ three miles from Gaba Tepe, on the Gallipoli Peninsula, by Rev Lee Warner.
“By the time Martha Kissick/Kissack received news of her son’s death, she was a widow, now living in her home in Nunn St, Benalla.
“She died there in 1931 and is buried with her husband Robert in Benalla Cemetery.
“Her daughter Martha, who never married, remained living in the same house until her death in 1964.
“After her brother’s death she enlisted as an Australian Army Nurse in World War I serving in several hospitals in India.
“She came home safely, and lived until she was 85 years old.
“After Martha’s death in 1964, the Kissick family home was sold.
“The present owners are Susan and Michael Spelic, who purchased it in April 2021, and have started to renovate the old home and hope to live there in the near future.
“When Michael, who is a builder, pulled the old mantle-piece down, wedged down the back was John Kissick’s medal.
“Along with it were remnants of family letters, old lottery tickets and an old dance card.”
Mr Willett said they had been safely hiding there since Martha’s death in 1964.
“The Dead Man’s Penny is a bronze disc, about 12cm across, depicting Britannia and a Lion, and bears the inscription ‘He died for freedom and honour’,” he said.
“The name of the soldier is engraved on the right had side of the plaque.
“No rank, unit or decorations are shown, befitting equality of the sacrifice made by all casualties.
“These medals were issued to the families of fallen Australian soldiers in 1922. It is engraved with John Kissick’s name.
“At 2pm Wednesday, November 24, the Spelic family met Graeme and Elaine Heywood at our Family Research Group in Church St, to present them with these precious items.
“It was a special gesture from one family to another, that deeply touched all Benalla Family Research Group members that were present, and especially the Spelic and Heywood families.
“Thank you to Susan and Michael, it’s been a pleasure for our Family Research Group to be involved with this uplifting story. Good people do exist.”
