The 1914/15 Star Trio awarded to Gerhardt Adolphus Chapman Ulrich, who enlisted with the British Section NZEF in London in 1914 and served on Gallipoli.

 

Gerhardt Ulrich was born 16th April 1879 at Dunedin, New Zealand. Son of Georg Heinrich Friedrich and Catherine Sarah Ulrich (née Spence). Georg was a notable New Zealand mineralogist, university professor and director of the school of mines. Gerhardt followed his father into Engineering, gaining a Batchelor of Engineering (Metallurgical) from the University of Otago in 1908. He worked at the Komata Reefs goldmine at Ohinemiri before heading overseas. He was working in Bolivia at the outbreak of the First World War, and travelled back to London where he enlisted in the British Section, NZEF. He served with No. 1 Field Company, NZ Engineers at Gallipoli - probably involved in mining operations at Quinn's Post and Courtney's Post. He suffered periodically from dystentery, and was ultimatel evacuated to the UK in September 1915. He returned to New Zealand in early 1917 for discharge, but this was withdrawn on arrival in New Zealand and he remained on strength until returning to the UK with the 34th Reinforcements, and was discharged in the UK in April 1918.

 

After the war, Ulrich was appointed Assistant Manager of the Ashanti Goldfield Corporation at Obuasi in West Africa - one of the world's most prolific goldmines in the 1920's. Ulrich later came to New Zealand in retirement, and died in Timaru on 17th June 1956.

 

All three medals are correctly impressed 4/138a CPL. G.A.C. ULRICH. N.Z.E.F.. This lot also comes with a FREE COPY of Clement's Wareham's book - I Go Where Most Men Go: The History of the British Section New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War. 

Service file held at Archives New Zealand