Picture courtesy of the London Medal Co
QSA (6) RoK Paard Drie Joh Joh DH (MAJOR T.W.O.H. HAMILTON, M.B, C.M.G, R.A.M.C.);
KSA (2) (MAJ: T.W.O’H. HAMILTON. M.B. C.M.G. R.A.M.C.);
Coronation Medal 1911, engraved naming; (LT.COL. T.W.O’H. HAMILTON, C.M.G., M.B., R.A.M.C.)
Thomas William O’Hora Hamilton was born on 24th May 1860 at Aldershot, Hampshire, and having been educated at King’s School, Canterbury, and then at Trinity College, Dublin where he gained a Bachelor of Arts followed by a Bachelor of Medicine and qualified as a Surgeon, was then appointed a Surgeon Captain with the Army Medical Services on 3rd February 1883.
Hamilton married in 1891, Hannah, the daughter of Charles de Gallye Lamotte, M.D., of the Cloisters, Sunderland, being subsequently promoted to Surgeon Major on 3rd February 1895, on which date he transferred as a Major into the Royal Army Medical Corps.
With the outbreak of the Boer War, Hamilton saw service in South Africa from 1899, and was then present during the relief of Kimberley operations in the Orange Free State from February to May 1900, including the action at Paardeberg on 17th to 26th February 1900, the actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein and Zand River. Then present during the operations in the Transvaal in May and June 1900, including actions near Johannesburg, Pretoria and Diamond Hill between 11th to 12th June 1900, he was then present on further operations in the Transvaal, east of Pretoria, between July and 29th November 1900, including the actions at Belfast on 26th to 27th August 1900. Hamilton was also present on operations in the Cape Colony, south of Orange River during 1899 to 1900, including the actions at Colesberg from 14th January to 3rd February 1900, Hamilton was Mentioned in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services in the London Gazette for 16th April 1901, and appointed a Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George for his services during the Boer War.
Having returned from South Africa, Hamilton was then promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 3rd February 1903. Having been awarded the Coronation Medal 1911, Hamilton was placed on Retired Pay on 4th November 1911, but was then re-employed on home service during the Great War from 5th August 1914. Hamilton died on 22nd April 1918.