A GALLANT CAREER.

Kumara Times, Issue 884, 1 August 1879, Page 4

A GALLANT CAREER.

[new ZEALANDER.] Visitors to the Museum will notice on guard there a soldierly-looking member of the Armed Constabulary, whose breast, decorated with a profusion of medals, showed that he has served his country long and well. Prompted by curiosity, we enquired of him some particulars of his career, and the incidents given were most interesting. His name is George Hill, or as he is more familiarly known. Rowley Hill, a native of England, and now some 43 years of age. A slight, active, sinewy man, the very beau ideal of a Colonial soldier. He only recently rejoined the constabulary force at Napier, at the commencement of the present Maori disturbance, but previously he had seen active service both afloat and ashore. At the time of the Crimean War he was in her Majesty’s navy in the Baltic Flying Squadron, under Admiral Plumridge, and there won his first medal. Subsequently he was in the Crimea in H.M.S. Leopard, Captain George Gifford, and there again saw active service, obtaining a medal with the Sebastopol bar, and also the Turkish medal for bravery. A few years after he shared in some of the most stirring scenes of the Indian Mutiny, having joined the Shannon frigate, under Sir William Peel, and for good service there he received his third medal and two bars, one for the relief and the other for the capture of Lucknow He also, while in the Mediterranean, in H M.S. Hanibal, the Admiral’s vessel, in 1861, saved the life of one of the crew who h:.d fallen overboard, and for this good service he received the Royal Humane Society’s medal. Aft*r this his varying fortunes brought him to New Zealand, and he joined the Furesi Rangers, under Major Von Tempsky, and his memento of that epoch of his marked service is the New Zealand medal. But in April, 1869, he won a still prouder trophy—the New Zealand Cross, for conspicuous bravery against the Hauhau Maoris. He was the one military European who, with twenty friendly natives, held the Mehauhe (Jerusalem) Pah against Te Kooti, and repulsed all attacks until Te Kooti retreated, and then, although like all brve men he is modest as to his deeds, we glean from him that, at the hazard of surprise and instant death, he bore the tidings to Captain Towgood, who sent a despatch to Colonel Lambert, in command of the forces, that Te Kooti and his men were in retreat, and thus aided in the effectual following up of the success which he and his armful of friendlies had secured in the beleagured pah. Reckoning up Private Hill’s services, they show 10£ years in her Majesty’s navy, in the New Zealand Constabulary, 3 years under Yon Tempsky, and 2 years in Major Fraser’s Volunteers. In addition to this he also, for a short time, saw service under Garibaldi, and shows scars and a mutilated hand obtained in some of the engagements under his leader. He was also wounded in the Indian mutiny, and also slightly in the New Zealand native war. Like all men thoroughly trained in martial discipline, he is reticent to a degree. As to reasons why, with all the evidences of good service he bears, that beyond the annual pension of LlO as bearer of the New Zealand Cross, he has no further reward, and that he still rates only as a private in the Armed Constabulary, he admits that he has declined promotion to a sergeantahip because of imperfect education j but, seeing what very indifferent m en> °f rawest materials and doubtful abilities, do by some means get into remunerative appointments, it seems passing strange that no better appointment can be found for a tried veteran than sentry at one of our public institutions.