Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Companion of the Bath badge awarded to Colonel Thomas Rawlings Mould, Commanding Royal Engineers during the Maori Wars of 1860-61 and 1863-64

The Most Honourable Order of the Bath, C.B. (Military) Companion’s breast badge, 22 carat gold and enamels, hallmarked London 1859, maker’s mark ‘WN’ for William Neale, complete with gold swivel-ring bar suspension but lacking ribbon buckle; together with original Warrant of award, signed by Queen Victoria, dated 30 April 1862, this folded with some small tears, the badge lacking a few red berries to wreaths, otherwise extremely fine £1800-2200

Thomas Rawlings Mould was born on 31 May 1805, at Portsea, Hampshire. He was commissioned as a second Lieutenant in the Royal Engineers on 22 September 1826, and over the following 29 years held a variety of posts in England and Ireland. In January 1855 he was commissioned as Lieutenant-Colonel and three years later he became Colonel by Brevet. He was married on 10 March 1830, at Ballykelly, County Derry, to Anne Stirling, by whom he had no fewer than 7 sons and 6 daughters, the last of whom was born in December 1850.

Late in December 1855 Mould and his daughters arrived in Auckland, New Zealand. As Commanding Royal Engineer, and from December 1857 inspector of public works in New Zealand, Mould advised the governor and the colonial and provincial governments on a wide range of subjects. In 1856 and 1859 he wrote the first detailed reports on the defences required to protect Auckland, Wellington and Lyttelton from naval attack. In 1859 his professional opinion was sought on a boundary dispute between Canterbury and Otago. During 1860 he reported unfavourably on a proposal to construct a canal between the Manukau and Waitemata harbours.

Mould resumed a more active military career with his commission as Colonel in 1858, and his appointment as Governor Thomas Gore Browne's deputy in Auckland province in February 1860. In April 1860, as a result of concern that Waikato Maori might attack Auckland, he worked to improve the city's defences, and the militia was called out for service under his command. In August 1860 he joined Major General Thomas Pratt in Taranaki. Browne had doubts about Pratt's abilities and may have wanted Mould to be given command of the forces in Taranaki. On 6 November 1860, Mould commanded one of the two British columns which defeated a Maori force at Mahoetahi. For his part in this small but very welcome victory he was created C.B. in 1862 ‘for services in New Zealand.’

Mould advocated the use of saps to attack Maori pa and directed their first successful use at Orongomaihangi in October 1860. Between December 1860 and March 1861 he supervised the major sapping operation against a group of pa near the Waitara River, the most important of which were Matarikoriko, Huirangi and Te Arei. Although unlikely to produce decisive results, sapping was an intelligent response to the difficult military problems posed by the modern pa. In the course of the campaign Mould developed a healthy respect for the courage and skilled military engineering of the Maori.

In June 1861 Mould wrote an important memorandum outlining the need for a line of fortifications south of Auckland to protect the city and its surrounding districts. He also proposed that the roads south of Auckland be extended and improved to facilitate the occupation of Waikato. Both proposals were acted on, and Mould himself directed much of the work.

While in Auckland in 1863 Mould, an active member of the Anglican church, skilfully enlarged St Paul's Church in Emily Place. He commanded the militia when it was called out in response to fears of an attack on the city in June and July 1863. In July he joined Lieutenant General Duncan Cameron's staff for the invasion of Waikato. He was involved in most of the major actions of the campaign and oversaw the construction of the roads, bridges and fortifications which were central to British operations. Later he took part in Cameron's Wanganui campaign of 1865.

Colonel Mould was mentioned on many occasions for his services during the campaigns in New Zealand, most notably by Major-General Pratt in his despatches dated 18 November and 31 December, 1860, and 26 July 1861; and by Lieutenant-General Cameron in his despatches dated 20 July and 26 November, 1863, and 4 March 1864. In addition to the award of the C.B., he was granted a Pension of £100 per annum for distinguished service from 2 February 1866.

In 1866 Colonel Mould returned to Britain, where in 1867 he was promoted to Major-General. He retired from the army on full pay in 1872, and died in London on 13 June 1886.

See Lot 134 for related family medals.