For years Neil Lord has lived in the Shoalhaven, and is well-known in local building, and being a Kiwi, of course, rugby circles.

He was part of the Kiwi building crew behind the establishment of the Shoalhaven Rugby Club's clubrooms at Rugby Park at South Nowra,

But he is also the great grandson of Reginald Judson VC.

Sergeant Reginald Judson was awarded the Military Medal (MM), the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) and the Victoria Cross (VC) during World War I.

One of few men to be awarded the three highest gallantry awards available to New Zealand soldiers.

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And remarkably, he was awarded each of the honours in just over a month, from July 24 to August 26, 1918 on the Western Front.

On hearing the news, the Keith Payne VC Veterans Benefit Group, who organise the popular and ongoing Digger Day celebrations in the Shoalhaven, have met with the family and presented them with a replica set of Sir Reginald's medals.

Chairman Rick Meehan said the family's connection with Reginald Judson VC came about when a couple of the group's members were seeing his great great granddaughter Janine Lord, who is a local psychologist.

"The guys told her about the Keith Payne Group and what they do and she revealed she was related to Reginald Judson VC," he said.

"We had no idea. It has always been our mantra to try and contact as many local descendants or family members of Victoria Cross recipients as possible and have them involved in our annual Digger Day activities.

"And if the family does not have a replica set of the medals, where possible we have tried to arrange them.

"The Lords now join a very small family of locals with VC connections.

"Hopefully, they will take part in Digger Day next year with Keith Payne and New Zealand's only surviving VC recipient Willie Apiata at next year's event."

Mr Lord said he fondly remembers his great grandfather as a humble man, of very few words.

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"He was my mother's grandfather," he said.

"I was lucky that all my great grandparents lived to old age - I don't know if it was good genetics or they were early breeders," he joked.

"But I was lucky to meet them all and be able to remember them."

Mr Lord was 22 when Judson died in 1970, aged 90.

"I remember either being home at the time or getting home not long after he died," he said.

"I remember the family talking about the discussions to donate his medals to the New Zealand War Memorial."

On another occasion while playing rugby in New Zealand, Mr Lord said he was having a particularly "hard time" with the referee, who after the game revealed himself as one fo Judson's sons.

"I didn't know who he was but he knew me," he said.

"Reginald was just a normal bloke. A very humble man, very modest. He just did what he did and that was it.

"We [the family] were all aware of what he had done, we all knew about it.

"But he was also a community man and was heavily involved in his community."

During a visit to New Zealand Mr Lord visited the QEII Army Memorial Museum to see his great grandfather's medals first hand.

"That was pretty special," he said.

"I asked a few questions and all of a sudden they realised we were related and we were taken up into the office and they pulled out his file and let us have a look and photocopied information for us.

"A few of our local close family friends know our connection but we sort of just kept it to ourselves."

Great great granddaughter Janine, who was responsible for the meeting, said it is a "special time for the family".

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"We are very family oriented, so this is fantastic," Janine said.

"Some have said 'why are you getting them?' I'm just the one who was contacted.

"It is a great gesture by the Keith Payne group and one we are very grateful for.

"We will wear them with pride. We are proud to be his descendants."

Ms Lord has been working with and supporting veterans for 18 years as the director of Shoalhaven Psychology Services in both Berry and Kiama says she feels strong connection with veterans.

"I suppose I have that affinity and understand veterans, I feel a connection," she said.

"Veterans are one group of my favourite clients I like to work with.

"These [the medals] will be treasured possessions and a real honour for us.

"It will be great to see the family involved in Digger Day, especially at Shoals where we have such strong connections already."

Reginald Stanley Judson was awarded the VC for his actions in the Second Battle of Bapaume during WWI.

In just over six weeks he was awarded the Military Medal, the Distinguished Conduct Medal and the Victoria Cross.

The VC, the last of the three, was awarded for his gallantry near Bapaume.

He had led a small grenade-throwing group who, under heavy fire, captured a machine-gun.

Judson carried on alone up a trench, bombing three more machine-gun crews, before leaping up out of the trench and ordering 12 men to surrender.

They shot at him but missed. Judson threw a grenade and leapt among them, killing two in close combat. The rest fled. And he captured two machine gun positions.

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Born in Wharehine, Judson was a boiler maker when he enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force for service in WWI.

In 1905 he had married Ethel Grice and had four children.

He was severely wounded in September 1916 during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette.

After two years of medical treatment and recovery, he returned to active duty in France in June 1918. His battalion, along with the rest of the New Zealand Division, was engaged in fighting on the Somme.

Late the following month, he rescued six of his fellow soldiers during a German counterattack near Hebuterne. For this action, he was awarded the DCM.

On August 16, he was at the forefront of a bayonet charge at Bucquoy that earned him the Military Medal.

Ten days later, Judson participated in the Second Battle of Bapaume, an early engagement of the Hundred Days Offensive, where his actions which led to him being awarded the Victoria Cross.

In September, Judson was a victim of a gas attack and returned to England to recover his health.

Before departing England, Judson, along with three other New Zealanders who had been awarded the VC, received his medal from King George V in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace on February 27, 1919.

Discharged from the NZEF in October 1919 as a Second Lieutenant and having decided on a career as a professional soldier, Judson joined the New Zealand Staff Corps.

He served in posts in Auckland and then New Plymouth, where he was the area officer.

His marriage to Ethel ended in divorce in 1920 and eight years later he married Kate Lewis, a war widow, and had a fifth child.

Due to his war wounds (eight fragments of shrapnel remained in his chest and abdomen) and the aftereffects of his gassing, his health was fragile. He experienced two periods of extended sick leave and retired in 1937, with the rank of Captain.

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Following the outbreak of WWII, Judson volunteered for military service.

To be eligible, he deceived the authorities about his age and served on the home front for the duration of the war, commanding the Guards Vital Points Battalion in Auckland.

He retired from the military in September 1946 with the rank of Major.

He later did a variety of jobs and was elected to the Auckland City Council.

Judson's Victoria Cross is displayed at the QEII Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru. On December 2, 2007 it was one of nine Victoria Crosses that were among a hundred medals stolen from the museum, however New Zealand Police reported them recovered on February 16, 2008.

Judson died in Auckland on August 26, 1972, aged 90.

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