Volunteer Decorations

Read about the Naval Volunteers who received Imperial Volunteer Decorations in New Zealand.

Naval Volunteer Recipients of the Imperial Volunteer Decorations in New Zealand[1]

Henry Samuel Fitzherbert

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and Efficient Service Medal

Served with the Petone Naval Artillery Volunteers in late 1870s. Elected to the rank of Lieutenant 29 September 1881. Served at Parihaka in November 1881. Promoted to Captain 2 August 1883 and placed on Active (Unattached) List. Put on Retired List September1910.

William Goldie

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and Efficient Service Medal

Joined the Port Chalmers Naval Volunteers around 1862. In 1864 was a Petty Officer. Elected to Lieutenant on 17 June 1870 and Captain on 29 May 1873. Resided at Goldie’s Point at Carey’s bay where the artillery battery would fire a salute to departing dignitaries. Commanded on of the Spar-Torpedo boats at a display at Oamaru during Easter 1886. Served as deputy Harbour Master and served on the Harbour Board until his retirement in 1907.

Walter Henderson

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration, NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

Settled in Bluff around 1862. He served with the Bluff naval Artillery Volunteers being elected as a Lieutenant on 25 June 1884. On 16 April 1898 he was promoted to Captain. In 1898 the formation was redesignated as H Company (Awarua) 2^nd Battalion, Otago Rifle Volunteers and he was kept as a Captain. In 1899 he was made Adjutant. In 1902 he was promoted to the rank of Major and in September 1920 he was made a Lieutenant Colonel and was the commanding officer of the 2^nd Battalion.

Alexander Robert Hislop

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and Efficient Service Medal

Served in Dunedin artillery volunteers but moved to Wellington in 1879 and transferred to the Wellington Naval Brigade. As a Lieutenant he established a contingent in Petone which became the Petone Naval Artillery Volunteers. He was elected as a Lieutenant on 25 February 1880. In November 1881 he served at Parihaka in the role of quartermaster for the Wellington contingent. Until his retirement in 1910 he served on the staff of the district Commanding Officer.

Emilius James Le Roy

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration, NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

Emigrated to Auckland in the 1850s. Joined the Auckland City Rifles in 1857. In 1863 he was serving with the Auckland Volunteer Rifles as an Ensign in No. 6 Company and was promoted to Lieutenant in August that year. In January 1868 he transferred to the Auckland Naval Volunteers. He was elected to the rank of Lieutenant not without some controversy. He was a passionate supporter of temperance and started a society aboard the warship HMS Brisk when it was serving in New Zealand waters. On 28 April 1871 he was promoted to Captain. In 1889 he was placed on the retirement list with the rank of Captain-Commandant. Find out more about Captain Emilius Le Roy.

Marcus Alban Neill

Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration, NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

Born in New Zealand, he was serving the Wanganui Garrison Band when he was elected as a Lieutenant in the Wanganui Naval Artillery Volunteers on 7 January 1890. He served as a Lieutenant until the formation was disbanded on 1 March 1898. He then transferred to the 2^nd Battalion Wellington (West Coast) Rifle Volunteers. As a Captain he resigned his commission in 1905.

Henry Parker

Imperial Volunteer Decoration, Imperial Volunteer Service Medal, New Zealand Medal, NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

He was a founder member of the Auckland Coastguard Volunteers and served in the Waikato War as a private for which he received the New Zealand Medal. He captured the war canoe Toki-a-Tapiri in the Manukau Harbour, regarded as the last great Maori War canoe that is now housed in the Auckland War Memorial Museum. Served aboard HMS Miranda in November 1863 and fought at the Battle of Orakau in 1864. Post the war he served as a rating in what was called the Auckland Naval Volunteers and was elected to Sub-Lieutenant on 24 July 1874. On 24 April 1879 he was promoted to Lieutenant and to Captain on 14 March 1889. In 1893 he resigned but was placed on the Honorary Unattached List.

On 20 July 1894 he was appointed to command the Devonport Naval Artillery Volunteers. On 25 1900 the unit was reformed as the Devonport Submarine Miner Volunteers with Parker as the commanding officer with the rank of Captain. In a further reorganisation in 1903, the formation was renamed No. 3 Company of the New Zealand Engineer Volunteer Regiment. On 21 August 1903 Parker was given the army rank of Major as the commander of No. 3 Company. Parker resigned his commission in 1905 and went on the retired list as a Lieutenant Colonel.

Martin Henry Payne

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and Efficient Service Medal

A doctor that emigrated from England he settled in the Thames region. In 1874 he was made an honorary surgeon to the Hauraki Engineer Volunteers. He then transferred to the Thames Naval Artillery Volunteers and promoted to Surgeon-Major on 24 April 1887.

William Henry Potts

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and Efficient Service Medal

He emigrated from Ireland and settled in the Thames region in the late 1860s following the gold rush. He was elected as a Sub-Lieutenant in the Thames Naval Artillery Volunteers on 10 August 1882. He was promoted in 1883 to Lieutenant then to Captain before he retired his commission in August 1900 over the attendance of the Thames Naval Band at the Volunteer camp held that Easter.

William Simpson

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

Emigrated from Australia in the 1860s. Joined the Nelson Naval Artillery Volunteers on 5 February 1875. He was made a Lieutenant on 26 February 1878. He temporarily retired and was made a Lieutenant again in 1884 upon with return. He was promoted to Captain on 19 April 1887. In February 1899 he was posted to the Active Unattached List and then to the retired list in September 1910. Is noted for leading a party of Nelson Naval Volunteers in August 1877 that recovered the passengers and crew of Queen Bee which had wrecked on Farewell Spit. They were rescued at Elmslie’s Bay in French Pass and successfully returned to Nelson. The party of volunteers were given a cash prize from the Bishop of Nelson and the Premier Sir Harry Atkinson.

William John Waters

Imperial Volunteer Decoration and NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal

Settled in Port Chalmers in 1864. Joined L Battery (Port Chalmers) NZ Regiment of Artillery Volunteers on 14 June 1879. He was elected to the rank of Lieutenant on 1 March 1880. He was promoted to Captain on 12 December 1887. In July 1894 L Battery was absorbed into the Port Chalmers Naval Artillery Volunteers (presumably with William Goldie). The officers of both units retained their ranks and Waters was made Lieutenant-Commanding. In December 1902 he retired his commission.

[1] Sourced from P. J. Beattie, Victoria’s Volunteers: New Zealand and the Imperial Volunteer Officers’ Decoration 1894-1902, Christchurch: Fair Dinkum Publications, 2010.