Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse undated (Sergt. T. H. Strauchan, A.C.) locally engraved naming, nearly very fine
£250-300

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of New Zealand War Medals.

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Thomas Hopper Strauchan was born in Scotland and was a surveyor by trade when he enlisted into the Armed Constabulary. He took part in the action at Nukumaru (Tauranga-ika) 2 February 1869, was at Weraroa Redoubt overlooking Waitotara, and was with the 6th Division at Otoia, 13 March 1869. He was present under General Whitmore, in the pursuit of Te Kooti, in the actions around Ahi-Kereru, south of Fort Galatea, on 7 and 8 May 1869. He served with the Armed Constabulary at Taupo, Te Wairoa, Onepoto, and Point Halstead. He applied for his Maori War medal when base at Taupo in 1871.

Strauchan later served in the N.Z. Permanent Militia, 1886-88, and duly received the Militia L.S. & G.C. medal. Having lost both his medals whilst in transit in 1895, he later applied for replacements which were issued to him in 1919. The papers relating to these replacement medals record his name as Strauchon and the Directive to the local jeweller uses the same spelling when asking that the enclosed medal ‘be polished and re-engraved with the name of T. H. Strauchon, Armed Constabulary, erasing that of R. K. Vale, 1st Waikato Regt.’ From the above it is clear that the medal offered her is his original award that was lost in 1895. Sold with detailed research.