Wellington City Rifles & Wellington Rifle Volunteers

<<< Tin for the blue cloth helmet of Major Crowe Wellington City Rifles (Crowe was a 65th Regiment man discharged in NZ) circa 1870.

Memorabilia of Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Crowe, Wellington City Rifles and late 65th Regiment.

Images & text by Aubrey Bairstow

Captain (later Lieutenant Colonel) Alexander Crowe, Wellington Rifles, late 65th Regiment & Wellington Veterans Volunteers.

Alexander Crowe was a veteran of the 65th Regiment of Foot who took his discharge in New Zealand, thereafter joining the local forces.It is not known when he enlisted in the 65^th however it is confirmed that he left England (Woolwich) on “Joseph Somes” which departed 10 December 1845 and which arrived in Sydney on 13 June 1846.

Crowe then came to New Zealand on the “Levant” which departed Sydney 7 July 1846 and which arrived at Wellington twenty days later. The men from the “Levant” then boarded HMS Calliope on 30 July which took them up to Porirua where they were based.

It is assumed therefore that Crowe took part in the Hutt wars and probably also in the early conflicts at Wanganui.

2072 Sergeant Alexander Crowe has taken his discharge from the 65th Regiment on 24 April 1866. He has settled in Wellington and was commissioned into the Wellington Veterans Volunteers as a Captain on 14 June 1870.

He was still alive in 1900 when Ranfurly’s Roll of Defenders of the Empire was published. This confirmed that he then held the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and that he was residing in Taranaki, with veteran number 506. Ranfurly’s Roll attributes Crowe with 21 years service suggesting that he had joined the 65th in around 1845.

He may have served with his regiment at Parihaka, an allegedly peaceful village harbouring formerly hostile Maori who were “passively resisting” the Government.

His New Zealand Medal is interesting in that it is clearly re-named and is named “Captn Crowe” –which would have been the early rank he would have held at around the time of the issue. It seems likely that when Alexander Crowe received his New Zealand Medal named to him as a Sergeant in the 65th Regiment he had it re-named to his rank at the time.

Also in The Collection is a named blue cloth helmet tin (named Major Crowe, Wellington City Rifles) together with a large group photo of Wellington Province officers in 1883.

Images & text by Aubrey Bairstow

James Walden served in the Wellington Rifle Volunteers, probably from its formation in June 1868.

He was in action at both of the ill fated engagements at Te Ngutu O Te Manu on 21 August 1868 and 7 September 1868.

Walden, a Corporal at the time, was seriously wounded in the second battle. (a subsequent photograph shows a large injury to his face so it is presumed that he was shot or stabbed in the face –possibly receiving other wounds as well).

Corporal Walden is noted as having brought out from the battle field the sword of his killed commanding officer, Captain Buck.

After the battle he proceeded to Waihi with the other wounded men (a number of whose medals are in this collection) and then proceeded to the redoubt at Kakaramea, which was under the command of Captain Pilmer of the Wellington Rifle Volunteers (who later signed his New Zealand Medal application papers).

Walden was awarded his New Zealand Medal in 1871.

He was commissioned as a Sub Lieutenant in the Wellington (City) Rifle Volunteers on 25 June 1877 and to full Lieutenant on 31 January 1878.

He may have taken part in the action at Parihaka. Walden later became the Racecourse Detective at Wellington.

On 4 July 1898, James Walden wrote to Sir Arthur Douglas, the Under Secretary of Defence and reported that his New Zealand War Medal was destroyed by fire.

A replacement was issued to him later that year.

This is the medal now held in The Collection.

Also with Walden’s medal is a rare Royal New Zealand Veteran’s Cross, named to him as a Lieutenant.

This is one of only a few known to exist with a New Zealand War Medal to the same recipient.