Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A very rare ‘New Zealand’ 1866 D.C.M. awarded to Private J. Acton, 18th Foot, who distinguished himself as a prominent member of the storming party at the capture of Papoia, Wanganui, 18 October 1866

Distinguished Conduct Medal, V.R. (James Acton 2nd Battn. 18th Regt.) pawnbroker’s marks to edge at 11 o’clock, suspension claw re-affixed, contact marks, fine £4000-5000

Provenance: Sotheby’s, February 1970; J. B. Hayward, May 1970.

D.C.M. awarded for storming and capture of Papoia, New Zealand, 18 October 1866.

James Acton served with the 18th Foot under the command of Major Rocke in New Zealand, and particularly distinguished himself during the attack on Papoia, 18 October 1866:

‘Nothing of importance occurred until October, 1866, when the Governor arrived at Patea and called upon Major Rocke for the help of the regiment in quelling disturbances in the country round Wanganui. Major Rocke was in the happy position of being his own commanding-officer, with no senior present to whom the question had to be referred. He joyfully responded to Sir George Grey’s appeal by organising a mobile column of three hundred Royal Irish and an equal number of New Zealand militia, and led the combined force to Waingongoro, where the Governor at an interview with the rebel leaders failed to persuade them to lay down their arms. Sir George Grey at once moved towards Papoia, a native village buried in the heart of the forest, believed to be strongly fortified, and known to be approachable only by difficult paths. He determined to surprise this village by an attack at dawn, and Rocke accordingly paraded his men at midnight on the 17th-18th of October. The Royal Irish led the march, preceded by a storming party under Lieutenant Pringle, who had volunteered for this dangerous duty. Silently, and with every precaution to avoid giving the alarm to their watchful enemy, the Royal Irish slowly followed the friendly natives who guided them along a steep and narrow track. At daybreak the men at the head of the column noticed that the path was leading into a glen, and a few minutes later discovered that across this glen the Hau-Haus had thrown a huge barricade, nine feet in height, made of the trunks of trees and crowned with a stiff “post and rails” fence. At this moment a number of natives, hidden in the bush, opened a heavy fire upon the storming party, but Pringle disregarded this flank attack, and with his men rushed at the barricade, breached it with axes, and drove the defenders into the bush. The rest of the column poured through the gap and swarmed into the village, which the Maoris hastily abandoned, leaving several dead behind them. This success... was quickly followed up by Rocke, who, making his way across country hitherto believed to be impassable to Europeans, raided several hostile villages, which the Hau-Haus, cowed by the capture of Papoia, abandoned without resistance.

At the conclusion of this three weeks’ campaign, the gallantry of Lieutenant Pringle in his charge on the barricade was brought to the notice of the officer commanding the troops in New Zealand; and two of the men who accompanied him, privates Acton and Hennigan, were awarded the medal for distinguished conduct in the field.’ (The Campaigns and History of the Royal Irish Regiment From 1684 to 1902, by Lieutenant-Colonel G. Le M. Gretton, refers)

1 of 22 D.C.M.’s awarded for New Zealand 1863-65. Acton’s New Zealand campaign medal is recorded as being held by the Wangnui Regional Museum.