Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

New Zealand 1845-66, reverse dated 1863 to 1864 (T. Goldsmith, Boy 1st Cl., H.M.S. Esk) good very fine £360-£400

Thomas Goldsmith was born in Alverstoke, Hampshire, on 11 September 1844, and entered the navy in January 1859 as a Boy 2nd Class in H.M..S. Victory. After serving for a brief period in H.M.S. Archer, he served in H.M.S. Falcon for 2 years and then joined the Esk on 7 October 1862.

H.M.S. Falcon served as part of the West Africa Squadron off Africa from 1859 to 1862. Her ship’s company participated in the attack on the King of Baddiboo on the Gambia River, and the ship bombarded Saba and captured the town on 21 February 1862. The ship’s crew suffered 6 killed and 15 wounded. Later she served in New Zealand including the attack on Gate Pā and a dozen Marines were awarded the medal with the 1864 reverse. It is possible that Goldsmith reunited with some of his old shipmates, almost 12,000 miles from home.

Goldsmith was to serve in Esk for 5 years and rose through the ranks from Boy to Ordinary Seamen and eventually to Able Seaman. During his time in Esk, the ship’s company was involved in several conflicts in New Zealand, including Rangiriri in November 1863, Te Awamutu and Rangiawhia in February 1864 and, most notably, Pukehinahina (Gate Pā) in April 1864. At the time Esk was commanded by Captain John Fane Charles Hamilton, who lost his life at Gate Pā. The city of Hamilton, New Zealand is named after him.


Gate Pā was the single most devastating defeat suffered by the British military in the New Zealand wars: 31 killed and 80 wounded and of those 11 killed and 22 wounded were part of the Naval Brigade. Samuel Mitchell from H.M.S. Harrier was awarded the VC for his actions that day in bringing out mortally wounded Commander Hay.

In November 1873 Goldsmith was appointed Ship’s Cook 2nd Class in H.M.S. Duke of Wellington and this was to remain his trade for the remainder of his naval career. He was awarded the Naval L.S. & G.C. medal in October 1879, being invalided out as Ship’s Cook 1st Class at the same time.

A total of 481 medals with the 1863-64 reverse were issued including 119 to men from H.M.S. Esk. Sold with copied service papers.