The death of Mr. David Frederick Lundon, a veteran, of two wars, occurred at his residence, 25 Ormond Road, on Monday night. Born in Tauranga. in 1872, Mr. Lundon joined his father in business in Tauranga. He was among the early volunteers for the Boer War, and went to South Africa with the Second Contingent, returning home invalided with malaria with the fourth and fifth contingents. After he recuperated, he rejoined his father in. the building and contracting trade jn Rotorua until the San Francisco earthquake. He immediately packed his kit of tools, and with a friend was among the first tradesmen to assist in the rebuilding of San Francisco. Returning to New Zealand after a few years, he settled in Wanganui, where he .married, and was engaged in bridge contracting in Taranaki when the last .war broke out. Completing his contracts, he again enlisted, and served .with the Wellington Mounted Rifles through Egypt, Palestine, Sinai and Syria. After the armistice a tug-of-war team he organised won the regimental brigade and divisional championships, being beaten only by the Black Watch for the championship of Egypt. During his younger days, he was a prominent athlete, being a successful middle-distance runner, as well as a well-known Tauranga Rugby player. On his return to New Zealand, Mr Lundon took up dairying at Runciman, near Auckland, but his health began to fail in 1931, this being hastened he following year by the death of his wife until he gave up farming four years ago, when he married again and moved to Gisborne to be close to his daughter, Mrs. Trevor Hall. A keen Freemason. Mr. Lundon was a past officer of the Grand Lodge of New Zealand.
The interment will be at the South African plots, Taruheru cemetery, today, following a service at Cochrane s chapel at 2 p.m.
Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 20 July 2023 - OBITUARY
GISBORNE HERALD, VOLUME LXX, ISSUE 21033, 3 MARCH 1943, PAGE 4