Monday, May 21, 2012

Tunks, Captain

Captain Tunks, a Crimean veteran, died at Tauranga (Bay of Plenty) last week. Captain Tunks was born in 1809, and joined the 68th Durham Light Infantry at the age of 16. He served in Canada and Ireland, and afterwards throughout the Crimean war.

He was present and took part in the battles of Inkerman, Alma, and the storming of Sebastopol, for which services he received the Queen's medal with three clasps and the Turkish medal and later on he also received a medal for long service. He resigned his commission in the 68th regiment owing to ill health, caused by the exposure and hardships he had undergone in the service of his country, and in 1861 came out to New Zealand, where he obtained a military grant of land in further recognition of his merits.

On the Native war breaking out in 1863 he offered his services to the Colonial Government, which they gladly accepted, appointing him to a captaincy in the 1st Waikato regiment. In this capacity he acted throughout the war and until the regiment was disbanded. Since the termination of hostilities, and therefore of his active service, Captain Tunks has taken a strong interest in the welfare of the district in which he resided.
Otago Witness, Issue 1799, 14 May 1886, Page 8

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