Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Four: Lieutenant E. G. Hunter, New Zealand National Military Reserve, late Canterbury Regiment

Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 5 clasps, Cape Colony, Rhodesia, Transvaal, South Africa 1901, South Africa 1902 (1101 Sergt. E. G. Hunter, 4th N.Z. Contgt.), the riveted clasps loose on riband; British War and Victory Medals (6/3752 W.O. 1 E. G. Hunter, N.Z.E.F.); Coronation 1902, bronze, the first with contact marks and polished overall, nearly very fine or better (4) £500-600

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Barrett J. Carr Collection of Boer War Medals.

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The recipient received his Queen’s South Africa Medal during the Royal Visit to New Zealand undertaken by the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall in H.M.S. Ophir in June 1901, in his case at Dunedin on the 26th; such awards were not inscribed with the recipient’s name and had to be returned to the authorities for appropriate engraving at a later date.

Ernest George Hunter, who was born at Riverton, Otago in August 1877, attested for service in South Africa in the 4th N.Z. Contingent and was embarked for Cape Town in the S.S. Monowai in March 1900. A member of No. 10 Company, he served in Rhodesia, in addition to other operations. Having then been invalided to New Zealand in early 1901, he attested for ‘H’ Squadron in the 8th Contingent and was re-embarked for South Africa in the S.S. Cornwall in February 1902, where he attained the rank of Sergeant. He subsequently joined the Coronation Contingent sent to England in 1902.

Hunter re-enlisted in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in September 1915 and was embarked for Egypt in the 2nd Canterbury Rifles in the following year. He likewise served in France from October 1916, from whence he was invalided to England with myalgia in April 1917. Advanced to Regimental Sergeant-Major in May 1918, he was discharged at the end of the same year.

In November 1927, Hunter attested for New Zealand Territorial Force and was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment in the following month. Having then been placed on the Reserve of Officers as a Lieutenant in August 1933, he attested ’for general service in New Zealand’ in 1940 and served in the 3rd Battalion, National Military Reserve, until placed on the Retired List in January 1942. Owing to the fact he was never actually mobilised, he was not entitled to the War Medal 1939-45.

Remarkably, given his advanced years, Hunter attested for the band of the N.M.W.C. in 1950 but died at Nelson in December of the following year; sold with extensive copied service records and roll confirmation.