Bruce Laing joined the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy in 1934. He was sixteen when he joined as a Boy 2nd Class and completed basic training in HMS Philomel. Laing became a Signalman Boy in 1935 and joined the crew of HMS Dunedin as an Ordinary Signalman in 1936. He was posted to HMS Leander in 1937 and remained with the ship for two years. Laing was part of the crew of HMS Leander present at King George VI’s coronation in 1937. In 1939 Laing was sent to the UK and posted to the shore establishment HMS Victory before serving in HMS Raven, a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) shore establishment, although still as a signaller. He then volunteered for service as aircrew in the FAA in June 1940 and became a Telegraphist Air Gunner.
Laing joined 825 Squadron who were attached to HMS Furious, flying Fairey Swordfish aircraft and operating off the coast of Norway. At some point after September 1940, Laing became interned in Sweden (a neutral country) where his aircraft must have come down. He was returned to Britain by September 1941 when he had a posting in HMS Daedalus. In 1941 Laing served in the FAA shore establishment HMS Kestrel before being sent to HMNZS Leander – given she was not operating an aircraft at the time, he would have served as a signalman onboard. Laing took another overseas posting in 1943 to HMS Tana, a FAA shore establishment in Kenya, followed by almost a year spent in HMS Ukussa in Sri Lanka. After a few UK postings in shore establishments in 1945, Laing returned to New Zealand in July 1945.
This medal was issued to celebrate the Coronation of King George VI in 1937. This silver medal was awarded in large numbers to citizens of the British Commonwealth including New Zealanders, both military and civilian.
