State: New South Wales, Australia
Issued on: Departure
Date of presentation: 15/01/1900
Number issued: 1
Gold medal, to:
"C" Squadron, 1st New South Wales Mounted Rifles –
362 Trooper Thomas H. BRATTEN [Brattan] (absent - medal handed to his father)
Presentation made by Mr H. Oxley, at Mr N. Johns' Miners' Arms Hotel, Merewether.
Obverse with recipient's monogram: "THB".
Reverse: “Presented to / T.H. BRATTEN / by his friends / on departing for / the War in / South Africa / 17.1.00”.
This medal sold by Tilburg Antiques, Sydney (through Etsy), 07/04/2024, for £407.61
Etsy, 07/04/2024
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Newcastle Morning Herald, 16th January 1900
The people of Merewether are anxious to entertain young BRATTEN before he leaves with the second contingent on Wednesday, but as the time is so short the chances are that he will be unable to obtain the necessary leave. A gold medal, suitably inscribed, has been purchased for presentation to BRATTEN, and in the event of his being unable to return for a day the medal will be handed to Mr Bratten, sen., who will personally give it to his son before he leaves on Wednesday.
Newcastle Morning Herald, 17th January 1900
MEREWETHER FOR THE FRONT.
A number of friends of Mr T.H. BRATTEN, who has been selected to proceed to South Africa with the contingent from this colony, assembled at Mr N. Johns' Miners' Arms Hotel on, Monday evening, and presented to his father, on his son's behalf, a neat gold medal and purse of sovereigns. Mr J. Myers occupied the chair, and Mr H. Oxley made the presentation. In doing so he expressed a desire that the commanding officer of the company with which their young friend was going to assist in the defence of the mother country, would be requested to hand over to the young soldier the spontaneous gift of his friends. Upon receiving the gift, Mr Bratten, sen., feelingly thanked the company for their expression of feeling towards his son, and assured them that he would personally convey to his son in Sydney the hearty good wishes of his friends in Merewether. The chairman stated he felt jealous of the father having a son who had the courage to undertake a duty surrounded with such peril and discomfort. He hoped their young friend would return with credit and honour to his home. Messrs Alex. Shephard and B. Roberts also added their testimony to the sterling character of the young soldier, after which the meeting resolved into harmony, when the toast of "The Queen", and "Success to the British Forces in South Africa", were most loyally responded to.