Description
New Zealand Medal, 1863 to 1866, 3968 Private Thomas Nugent, 50th Queen’s Own Regiment.
Contact marked with overall wear from long service.
Officially impressed: “3968 Thos Nugent 50th Qn’s Own Rgt”
Thomas Nugent was born during 1837 in Wagraffin, Clonmel, Tipperary, Ireland.
He attested for service with the 50th Regiment of Foot on 1st February 1854 at Dublin.
He would serve for 20 years 363 days, of which 13 years 4 months were spent overseas:
Crimea service, 1 year 8 months
Ceylon service, 6 years 1 month
Australia and New Zealand service, 5 years 7 months.
His character sheet reads;
“His conduct has been good, he is in possession of 1 good conduct badge.”
Awarded the Crimean War Medal, Turkish Crimea Medal and this New Zealand Medal, the first 2 were likely issued unnamed.
Also his conduct was not so good it is shown as “His name appears 63 times in Regimental Defaulters Book and he has been 8 times tried by Court Martial.”
His service papers then show an almost unending list of imprisonment throughout his career for, sleeping at this post, ‘miscellaneous’ and being habitually drunk on duty.
With 1 imprisonment on 20th September 1867 whilst he was serving in Australia reading: “Imprisoned by Civil powers for assaulting a policeman.”
He took his final discharge at the age of 40, following the end of his 2nd period of engagement, he had chosen to continue his service following 12 years in 1866 whilst in New South Wales.
