Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers

Five: Lieutenant Colonel G. T. Carré, Royal Artillery, who was five times Mentioned in Despatches, his awards reflecting campaigning in New Zealand, Afghanistan, Egypt and India

New Zealand 1854-66, reverse undated (Lieut. G. T Carre, R.A.); Afghanistan 1878-80, no clasp (Capt. G. T. Carre. 1/8th R.A.); Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Major, G. T. Carre, 7/1st. Bde. No: Div: R.A.); India General Service 1854-95, 1 clasp, Burma 1885-7 (Major G. T. Carre No. 7 By. 1st. Bde. N. Dn. R.A.); Khedive’s Star 1882, unnamed as issued, contact marks, generally very fine and a rare combination (5) £2,000-£2,400

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, Medals from the Collection of Peter Duckers.

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Provenance: Glendining’s, November 1965; Sotheby’s, May 1989.

George Tennant Carré was born into an ancient and distinguished Guernsey family on 21 February 1840 and was educated at Sherborne School, Dorset. He was appointed a Gentleman Cadet at Woolwich on 24 January 1860 and granted a commission as a Lieutenant in the Royal Artillery on 25 June 1862. He first saw service in the New Zealand (Maori) Wars from October 1863 to October 1866. He served in the Waikato campaign, was present at the action at Orakau, and assisted in conducting the Sap. He next served in command of a detachment in the Wanganui and Taranaki campaigns. Cowan, in his history of the Maori campaigns, states that at the commencement of the Taranaki campaign against the Hauhaus there were 33 Royal Artillery personnel ‘with field guns’ under Lieutenant Carré. He was present in the action at Putahi, where General Chute’s force attacked the pa on 7 January 1866. The pa was built on a wooded site on a spur of the Whenuakura River and was taken by storm, at the point of the bayonet. This action drove the Hauhaus inland and effectively ended the fighting south of the Patea.
Chute next marched his force to the Tangahoe territory to attack the strongest Hauhau pa located at Otapawa, on a commanding hill (near Hawera Town). Cowan quotes Carré saying:
‘The artillery used in the attack on Otapawa consisted of a six pounder Armstrong and two small mortars under the charge of Lieutenant (afterwards Lieutenant-Colonel) G. T. Carré, Royal Artillery. This officer, in recounting the incidents of Otapawa said: “when Major-General Chute ordered the assault, officers who had been used to the cautious tactics of Genl. Cameron ventured to remonstrate. The gallant Chute cried “Small force! I tell you, if there was only one man, and that man myself, he should go at it!” On the General’s return past the guns, Lieutenant Carré ventured to congratulate him. He shook his head. “Lost too many poor boys. Nearly lost myself,” he said and pointed to his jumper, from the breast of which a bullet had torn the braid. Had he been one step farther, it would have gone through his body’ The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Volume II The Hauhau Wars, (1864-72) by James Cowan F.R.G.S.

The attack began on 14 January 1866, with 616 men backed by the three guns. Shells were sent into the pa before a frontal bayonet attack was launched, which drove out the Maoris after severe hand-to-hand fighting. Chute’s force then continued to Ketemarae, which was attacked on 15 January 1866. Passing through Waihi, several other villages being taken, the force moved to Mawhitiwhiti which was taken after a fight and seven other villages burned. The column then proceeded to New Plymouth via the thick forest to the east of Mount Egmont along what was known as the Whakaahurangi track.

The New Zealand Wars: A History of the Maori Campaigns and the Pioneering Period: Volume II The Hauhau Wars, (1864-72) by James Cowan also contains a letter written by Carré describing the immensely difficult and trying nature of the forced marched through the dense forest between Ketmarae and New Plymouth, towards the end of which the men are reduced to eating raw horse meat in order to survive:
‘Included in General Chute’s column on the bush march was a detachment of Mounted Artillery under Lieutenant G. T. Carré, Royal Artillery. Describing the arduous march, Lieutenant Carré wrote in one of his letters:
“We started on the morning of January 17th, 1866, and marched by a well-marked track into the bush with a few native guides and three days provisions and 300 men. At first the track was all that could be desired and the first three miles were soon passed over. We laughed at the idea of taking more than three days to do sixty miles, but by degrees the path grew smaller and beautifully less until disappeared altogether to the sight of any European, though the natives could follow it. After the first four miles we had literally to cut our way with hatchets and billhooks through the most entangled jungle the undergrowth being very thick with plenty of supplejack in it; but what was worse than all this were the immeasurable gullies and small rivers. It took us an immense time to get the pack-horses over these obstacles. In most places, we had to make steps with fern trees both up and down, for them and we moved at about the rate of a quarter of a mile an hour, starting always at 7:00 a.m. and working till dark. After the third day we were out of provisions and to make matters worse it came down a regular three days’ New Zealand rain, drops as large as half-crowns coming off the trees, which were so high and dense that twilight reigned at noon. It began to look certainly very horrible, for no-one knew where we were. We had to eat our horses and the rain prevented our lighting fires to cook the unpalatable fare. But luckily we got succour at last. Capt. Leach was sent on with the natives, who would no longer stay with us, taking a dog for food on the way, and in two days got help and returned with some men carrying blankets and food. We were nine days in the bush altogether.”’ (ibid).

For his services in New Zealand Carré was awarded the medal and twice Mentioned in Despatches (London Gazettes 16 March 1866 and 15 May 1866). He then saw further service in the Straits Settlements, October 1867- April 1869 and India, April 1869 – August 1875, being promoted Captain on 9 June 1875. He saw further service in India, January 1876 – December 1877 and January 1879 – February 1882. Carré served as the only Captain with the 1/8 Mountain Battery (11 officers and 117 men) during the Afghan war (1879-80) being present in the Zaimusht operations in October 1879 and the attack on their tribal centre at Zawa. He was awarded the Afghanistan Medal and was mentioned in despatches. In the subsequent Mahsud Waziri expedition of 1881, brought about by the desire to punish the Waziri for their depredations whilst the British forces had been tied up in the Afghan War, Carré continued to serve with 1/8 R.A., this time in Colonel Gordon’s Column operating from Bannu, and was again Mentioned in Despatches.

During the Egyptian war of 1882, Carré served on ‘special employment’ on the staff at Smyrna in the Ottoman Empire before re-joining 7/1 Mountain Battery, Northern Division, R.A. (formerly 1/8) during the British invasion; he was present in the second action at Kassassin and the battle of Tel-el-Kebir, where 7/1 served with the Indian contingent on the left flank of the attack force. He received the Egypt medal with clasp and the Khedive’s Star. He was advanced to Major on 1 October 1882

After further service in St. Helena, Mauritius, and India, 1883-89, Carré, having arrived in Rangoon in command of 7/1 Battery in September 1886, led the Yan Column in Burma during anti-dacoit and pacification operations following the British invasion of 1885: ‘A wild and difficult country, pursuing the Bohs or robber chieftains’. He received the India General Service medal with clasp and was again Mentioned in Despatches (Sir George White’s despatch London Gazette 2 September 1887.)

Carré was appointed Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel in July 1887 for his service in Burma and Lieutenant-Colonel in October 1889, retiring from the army in 1890. Although at one time apparently recommended for the D.S.O., he received no honours or decorations other than these campaign medals and his several “mentions”.

Carré married in 1890 the widow of General Trevor Chute (under whom he had served in New Zealand) and was recorded in his Obituary as “a great traveller”, who lived for a time after his army service in New Zealand and Australia; he “had been three times round the world and into many little-known parts” including Tibet, and was a noted big-game and trophy hunter. He eventually retired to Wick Cottage, Downton, near Salisbury, where he became very actively involved with local institutions and events. He died of heart failure in May 1912, and is buried in Downton churchyard.

Sold with copied research including a photographic image of the recipient.