A rare collection of military medals, paybooks and service records linked to three generations of the Graham family, including a soldier killed at Gallipoli’s famous Battle of Chunuk Bair, is set to go under the hammer this week.

The Graham family group is among the standout Bay of Plenty-related items in David Galt’s Mowbray Collectables International Numismatic Auction on September 18.

The collection includes medals and personal service items belonging to World War I brothers James Alexander Graham and John Telfar Graham, plus James’ son, Alexander John Graham, who served during World War II.

Consigned by a Bay of Plenty collector, the collection has strong local ties. James Alexander Graham lived in Otūmoetai and worked as a mechanic in Tauranga between 1949 and 1959 before his death in 1965. His son, Alexander John Graham, was born in Morrinsville in 1922.

However, it is the story of James’ younger brother, John Telfar Graham, that gives the collection particular significance.

John served with the Wellington Mounted Rifles at Gallipoli and took part in New Zealand’s assault on Chunuk Bair in August 1915, one of the most significant battles involving New Zealand troops during the campaign.

He was wounded during the fighting and died in Alexandria, Egypt, four days later.

Mowbray Collectables managing director David Galt said it was unusual to see a military collection representing three members of the same family come to market.

Mowbray Collectables managing director David Galt.

“We would have had very few like this with a Chunuk Bair connection.”

More than medals

Included in the lot are original paybooks and service records that offer a glimpse into everyday life for New Zealand servicemen.

The documents show James Alexander Graham initially earned just nine shillings a fortnight before his pay increased later in the war.

The records also reveal details about the family’s movements and backgrounds, with James having worked as a carter and later in Whangārei before settling in the Waikato and Bay of Plenty after the war.

The papers record that his son, Alexander John Graham, was a member of the Brethren faith and earned about four pounds and three shillings a fortnight during his World War II service.

Galt said such items helped tell the human stories behind military service.

“They remind us about the sacrifices that families made in wartime. Not only did they travel to the other side of the world but, as in the case of the Graham family, they represent the loss of a family member for those who survived.”

Interest beyond the medals

While the Graham collection is expected to attract strong attention from Bay of Plenty history enthusiasts, it is not the only local item generating interest.

Other highlights include a rare 1846 letter written by missionary Richard Taylor to trader and community leader Gilbert Mair, both of whom were present at the signing of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. The letter, estimated at $10,000, includes one of only two known Russell receiving postmarks.

Collectors are also expected to bid strongly on a mint example of New Zealand’s first One Penny stamp from 1855 and a medal group awarded to decorated World War II soldier and twice-escaped prisoner of war John Alexander Redpath.

Mowbray Collectables has been promoting the Graham family collection to interested parties in the Tauranga area, although Galt said the auction house makes such items widely known rather than targeting specific buyers.