Battle Hill badge find sends enthusiast back to the 19th century

The discovery of a badge on Battle Hill in Pauatahanui has propelled a military enthusiast back to 19th century New Zealand to find its owner.

George MacDonald, of Paraparaumu, found the battered cross-belt badge in 1994 and started tracing regimental numbers engraved on the back.

Researching Archives New Zealand and Alexander Turnbull Library records, he discovered the badge's owner was Private James Connors of the 58th Regiment, who fought against Te Rangihaeata at Battle Hill in 1846.

"I could not believe it, it is a rare badge, a Maori war researcher said he had not seen one before," Mr MacDonald said.

Intrigued that the soldier's payroll stopped on August 20, 1846, he dug deeper to find the private had accidentally drowned.

In a death notice from the time, Mr MacDonald read that Private Connors had been drinking at the Aglionby Arms in Petone before trying to cross the Hutt River in a canoe.

"The parties present endeavoured to dissuade him from his purpose, but he persisted, and entered the canoe. He was shortly after seen to fall into the water, and though every effort was made to rescue him, he unfortunately met with a watery grave," the notice stated.

"They should have taken his keys away," Mr MacDonald said.

After tracking the soldier's history from when he joined the regiment in 1825 to escape the potato famine in Ireland, to enduring a "hell ship trip" to New Zealand and fighting in the Maori land wars Mr MacDonald decided he wanted to recognise Private Connors' hard life.

"It was a hellish life, the pay was not much. They were poorly equipped for the Maori Wars, familiar with the Napoleonic wars but not prepared for rough battle conditions in the bush," he said.

Although Private Connors' date of birth was unknown, he was believed to have been about 40 when he died.

Each year Mr MacDonald has commemorated his drowning by placing memorial notices in newspapers on the anniversary of his death. "This way he is not forgotten. Although it happened many years ago, his story provided a snapshot of the period, a slice of New Zealand's colonial days.

"Thinking he was coming over to go to battle, he would not have expected to drown."

Mr MacDonald was still keen to find more information about the "unfortunate soldier" and the times he lived in.

- © Fairfax NZ News

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