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

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (Ensgn. C. E. Hurst, 1st Bn. 12th Foot) officially impressed naming, fitted with silver ribbon buckle, very fine £600-800

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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Collection

Ex Wadey Collection.

Lieutenant Hurst served in New Zealand from 1860, and formed part of a reinforcement in 1860 that embarked upon H.M.S. Fawn at Sydney, arriving at Taranaki on 23 July. On the 17th they marched to Waireka to construct a redoubt with a view to arresting the advance of hostile natives from the south in their intended attack on the town of Taranaki. The regimental history again reports that in 1864 this officer, who was at that time attached to the Royal Engineers, was again in action against the Maoris. His services are given in Hart’s Army List thus: 'Lt. Hurst served in the New Zealand War from 1860 until 1866 and was engaged in all the principle actions. Was attached to the Royal Engineers, as an assistant engineer, for five years, and commanded a detachment of the Royal Engineers at the attack and storming of the fortified position of Orakau for which services he was specially mentioned in despatches' (London Gazette 14 June 1864).

The Strangest War, by Edgar Holt, describes this action at Orakau Pa as follows:

‘“A battle in which the Maoris made the most remarkable sortie in the whole series of New Zealand wars- a sortie which Sir Henry Havelock, son of the great Indian soldier and himself a holder of the Victoria Cross, was to describe years later as the finest thing he had ever witnessed in the whole course of his military career.”

The defenders of the "Pa", including 20 women and some children, numbered only about 300. The British force, under General Carey, numbered some 2000 men, and they were able, on this occasion, to surround the "Pa" completely - rarely possible in the Maori Wars. The defenders had little food and no water, but for two days held out against all attacks, including several attempts to take the "Pa" by storm, all of which failed. Thereafter Carey decided to approach the "Pa" by means of a sap, and Lieutenant Hurst was in charge of this operation. By the third day the sap was within a few yards of the "Pa", and grenades could be thrown from it into the defences. At this point the British sent an interpreter up to the "Pa" under a white flag, to give the Maoris, who were now suffering from hunger and thirst and almost out of ammunition, a chance to surrender honourably. After discussing the offer for a few minutes the Maoris gave their reply, which translates into the following: "Enough! We shall fight on, for ever, for ever, for ever!" At the further suggestion that the women and children should be sent out of the "Pa" to safety the chiefs retorted: "The women will fight as well as we!". "Rare plucked 'uns, rare plucked 'uns", said Sir Henry Havelock, when he was told what the reply was.

The Maoris waited until Lieutenant Hurst's sap had reached the "Pa" itself, and then, quite suddenly, the whole body of defenders marched out from one corner of the "Pa", the women and children being in the middle, and trotted through the British lines at a steady unhurried pace. The troops were amazed at the sight, but recovered from the shock and began to close in on all sides, although they dare not fire for fear of hitting each other. The Maoris did not fire a shot throughout their withdrawal. When the pursuit started in earnest many of these gallant men were killed, and twenty or thirty taken prisoner, but more than sixty got away, as they thoroughly deserved to do.

The Maoris had been forced to leave their wounded behind, inside the "Pa", and it is a sad footnote to this story of bravery that a number of them were bayoneted, including at least one woman, by British regulars, a most unusual occurrence in any war, let alone the Maori Wars, where so much chivalry was displayed on both sides. It is good to record that the general feeling of the men, however, was of admiration. The Maoris were indeed “Rare plucked ‘uns”.

Charles Edward Hurst, who had been appointed an Ensign in the 12th (East Suffolk) Regiment of Foot on 25 March 1858, and promoted to Lieutenant on 2 February 1862, retired on Half Pay on 15 July 1868. He is briefly shown as a Lieutenant in the 101st Royal Bengal Fusiliers in the Army List for 1873 but disappears thereafter.

Sold with research including copies of the London Gazette for 14 June 1864 and 15 July 1865, and extracts from The Strangest War by Edgar Holt, and The Waikato War by John Featon.