Discombe’s Daughters

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by Karen Payne

Back in February 2019, I wrote an article on Cambridge man Reece Discombe.  He was instrumental in discovering the shipwreck of the famous French ship, La Boussole at Vanikoro, Solomon Islands, and was awarded the National Order of Merit by General de Gaulle himself.  You can read about it here.  

I had spoken with Reece’s daughter Michelle during my research, and invited her family to see an information board we were displaying to mark the centenary of her father’s birth.   

Covid-19 soon made this impossible.  But finally, four years later, Michelle and her three sisters surprised us with a visit.  The information board was no longer on display, but we retrieved it for them, capturing the moment (above).  Pictured are Paullette, Janet, Michelle and Denise.  They were enjoying a road trip together, summing it up by wearing T-shirts printed for each sister, eldest to youngest: 

I’m the oldest sister, I make the rules
I’m a middle sister, I’m the reason we have rules
I’m a middle sister, I’m the reason we have rules
I’m the youngest sister, rules don’t apply to me. 

They were rediscovering their father’s home town, and had managed to locate several family members and friends buried in local cemeteries through the Waipa District Council’s excellent database. 

Their visit emphasised the value of keeping the histories of our local people alive, and we were glad to be a part of it. 

The information board had been displayed at the Museum for about three years.  It was often commented on by locals who remembered the family, and also by our French visitors who were unaware of the Cambridge connection to such an important piece of French history.