New Zealand Medal 1845-1866, reverse dated 1864 to 1866 awarded to Private C. Donaldson, 68th Durham Regiment of Light Infantry who was present during the Maori Wars between 1864 and 1866. A ‘bad lad’ he was court-martialled twice and appeared in the Regimental Defaulter’s book on no less than 74 separate occasions. Unsurprisingly, despite his 21 years of service he did not receive a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
New Zealand Medal 1845-1866, reverse dated 1864 to 1866; (45. CHAS DONALDSON. 68TH LT. INFTY.)
Condition, toned, Nearly Extremely Fine
Charles Donaldson was born in Sheffield, a collier by trade, he enlisted at Leeds on 8th October 1857 seeing service as a Private (No. 45) with the 68th Durham Regiment of Light Infantry and served 21 years and 168 days with the regiment.
During his time in the Regiment he would serve in the West Indies for seven years and ten months and in New Zealand for two years and five months, and would be entered 74 times in the Regimental Defaulter’s book and was twice tried by court martial.
A somewhat chequered military career is represented by the fact he was imprisoned by his commanding officer for being drunk in the barracks on 20th September 1861, for which he received two days in the cells. He was sent to the cells for drunkenness on 6th July 1863, for being absent without leave on 16th May 1868 he would be court-martialled and imprisoned from 26th May to 25th June. On 17th November of that year he was again imprisoned for ‘Breaking out of Barracks’. Imprisoned for drunkenness again on 23rd December 1868. Imprisoned for ‘Habitual Drunkenness and Breaking out of Cells on 5th January 1869, for which he served another ten days, the same thing occurred in March of 1869 and of July in the same year. Unsurprisingly he was not in receipt of a Long Service and Good Conduct Medal.
After his discharge on 15th July 1879, he noted his future planned place of residence of County Wexford, Ireland.
