Country: New Zealand
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: bef. 09/02/1901
Number issued: ?
Gold medals, suitably inscribed, to:
1st New Zealand Mounted Rifles –
unspecified volunteers
Subscribed for by the townspeople.
Obverse with representation of a mounted Rough-Rider.
Reverse: "Presented to _______ , for services rendered in South Africa, 1899-1900".
It is possible that only members of the First Contingent received medals. A report covering the reception of men of the Fifth Contingent indicates that they received framed illuminated addresses instead. During the latter presentation a member of the assembled crowd shouted "Not half good enough".
Oddly, I have been unable to find a report of the February 1901 presentation of gold medals to the First Contingent in the Feilding Star. It might be relevent that the New Zealand Times article describes the returned volunteers as members of the Wairoa Mounted Rifles, whereas most of the Feilding men appear to have served with the Manchester Rifles or Manawatu Mounted Rifles. I have also been unable to find any records of Feilding men having served with the First Contingent. The New Zealand Times article may therefore be erroneous.
The Stratford and Waverley tribute medals. An article about the Feilding presentation published in the New Zealand Times, seems to describe a medal very similar, if not identical to the Waverley tribute (shown on the right in the above image).
_________________________________
New Zealand Times, 9th February 1901
OUR VOLUNTEERS.
The troopers of the Wairoa Mounted Rifles who returned to Feilding recently from South Africa, where they had been serving with the First New Zealand Contingent, were presented by the townspeople with gold medals emblematical of the patriotic action in which the troopers have been engaged. The obverse side of the medal shows a rough-rider in war apparel, and on the reverse side is the inscription “Presented to _______ , for services rendered in South Africa, 1899-1900”. The medals are surmounted by representations of crossed rifles.
Feilding Star, 15th May 1901
Yesterday afternoon Regi.-Sergt. Major F. PLEASANTS (a son of Mr O. Pleasants, of Colyton), and Troopers R. SIMPSON (a son of Mr G.B. Simpson, Colyton), of the Third Contingent (Rough Riders), and Trooper G. THOMAS (Second Contingent), of Colyton, returned from the war in South Africa. Having gone on to Wanganui on the previous day to be present at a reception there, they returned to Feilding by the 4 p.m. train. They were met at the station by the Mayor (Mr E. Goodbehere), Staff-Captain Kirton, and a large number of citizens who welcomed the troopers back to Feilding after a distinguished service in South Africa. Corporal J.J. O'Reilly, formerly a resident of Apiti, where he held a position in the school, was also a passenger by the train for Palmerston, where his parents reside.
POTENTIAL RECIPIENTS (if men from the Second and Third Contingents received medals)
EMBARKATION DATABASE
Surname: THOMAS
Reg No: 372 [373]
Given Names: Gerald
Contingent: Second
Rank: Private
Unit: No 1 Company [Nos 3 and 4 Companies]
Joined from: Manawatu Mounted Rifles (Private, 10 yrs)
County/City: Oroua
Age: 27 years, 6 months
Occupation: Farmer
Ship: “Waiwera”, 20 January 1900
Address: Colyton, Feilding
Next of Kin: Thomas, Mrs Jean Catherine
Next of Kin Address: Wanstead, Essex, England
Relationship to Soldier: mother
Surname: THOMAS
Reg No: 7363
Given Names: Gerald Harry
Contingent: Ninth
Rank: Sergeant
Unit: North Island Regiment - "G" Squadron
Joined from: Manawatu Mounted Rifles (Sergeant, 5 yrs)
County/City: Oroua
Age: 28 years, 7 months
Occupation: Farmer
Ship: “Devon”, 19 March 1902
Address: Colyton, Feilding
Next of Kin: Thomas, Mrs Jean Catherine
Next of Kin Address: Wanstead, Essex, England
Relationship to Soldier: mother
Surname: PLEASANTS
Reg No: 748
Given Names: Frank
Contingent: Third
Rank: Colour Sergeant
Unit: No 2 [No 6] Company
Joined from: Manchester Rifles (Sergeant, 3 yrs)
County/City: Oroua
Age: 22 years, 9 months
Occupation: Farmer
Ship: “Knight Templar”, 17 February 1900
Address: Feilding
Next of Kin: Pleasants, Mr Owen
Next of Kin Address: Colyton, Feilding
Relationship to Soldier: father
Surname: SIMPSON
Reg No: 751
Given Names: Robert
Contingent: Third
Rank: Private
Unit: No 2 [No 6] Company
Joined from: Manchester Rifles, Feilding (Private, 3 yrs)
County/City: Oroua
Age: 22 years, 1 month
Occupation: Farmer
Ship: “Knight Templar”, 17 February 1900
Address: Colyton, Feilding
Next of Kin: Simpson, Mr George Brown
Next of Kin Address: Colyton, Feilding
Relationship to Soldier: unknown
