An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866

Pair: Engineer W. R. Donald, Royal Navy

China 1857-60, no clasp, unnamed as issued; New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1865 (Wm. R. Donald, Engr., H.M.S. Eclipse) officially impressed naming, very fine (2) £500-550

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, An Important Collection of Medals for the Maori Wars, 1845-1866.

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Donald's New Zealand War medal was issued on 11 July 1874. 75 New Zealand War medals (13 to R.N. officers, 49 to R.N. ratings, and 13 to R.M. N.C.Os. and men) were awarded to H.M.S. Eclipse, of which 34 are known including 11 with reverses dated 1865, one with reverse dated 1864-1866, and 3 with reverses dated 1863-1864.

William Robertson Donald was born on 11 January 1828, at Johnstone, Renfrew. He trained in engineering at Messrs. Penn & Co. and passed at Woolwich, being appointed as Assistant Engineer 3rd Class to Blenheim on 12 November 1852, and then to Sidon in November the same year, before being transferred to Fisgard in November 1855. In March 1856 he was promoted to Assistant Engineer 2nd Class, and transferred to Formidable and then Edinburgh in July 1856, before being appointed to the Retribution when she was commissioned in August 1856 to the Pacific and China Station. He served in her during the Second China Wars until paid off to the Portsmouth Cheque in December 1860, where he passed and was promoted to 1st Class Assistant Engineer on 11 January 1861, before being sent to Fisgard for Eclipse in January 1856, and Sheerness for Eclipse May 1861, achieving his rating as Engineer in the same month. Donald was Commissioned to the Eclipse on 27 September 1862, on the Australian Station, and served in her throughout the Second New Zealand War, passing for Acting Chief Engineer in May 1864. He was on the Sheerness Cheque in February 1867, and was discharged from the service at his own request on 11 April 1867. From the reports of his qualifications and character, it appears that he was highly regarded as an Engineer, a good disciplinarian, but irritable and not with a good temper. It seems he did not suffer fools gladly.

Sold with copy of two pages of service record, list of ships entitled to China 1856 and 1860, and page from Medal Roll for Second China Wars for H.M.S. Retribution.