Fire Fighting Medals & Awards

Lot 1251    Day 1    Fire Fighting Medals & Awards

Estimate $3,500
Bid at live.noble.com.au

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL, Medal of Merit to the Fire Brigade, plain on both sides and hand engraved in silver (35mm), no maker, with suspender, ribbon and buckle bar, reverse inscribed 'To/W.Johnson/Assistant Engineer/For/Good Services Rendered/At/Lyttelton Fire/24th Octr. 1870.' Good very fine and very rare.

The following courtesy of National Library of New Zealand, Papers Past, from the Lyttelton Times 21 November 1870.^^Fire Brigade. -The commemorative medals which the members of the Christchurch Fire Brigade selected to have in preference to the remuneration voted to them by the City Council for services rendered at the Lyttelton fire are now in process of manufacture. Mr Heyder has contracted to make twenty-nine at the stipulated price, and they are all to bear suitable inscriptions. In size they will be similar to the Crimean medals, but of course they will not be embossed. One side will bear the words "Christchurch City Council medal of merit to the Fire Brigade," and on the reverse side will be "To , for good services rendered at the Lyttelton Fire, 24th Oct., 1870." Some comment has been made on the fact that the Superintendent will not receive a medal. Being a paid officer he did not receive any gratuity for his services at the fire, and consequently he could not select to have a medal. It is a question worthy some consideration whether, under the circumstances, he should not, along with his subordinates, have some token to commemorate such an exceptional event. The admirable manner in which he worked the Brigade certainly entitles him to some public recognition, especially as the fire was outside his district.