Page:EB1911 - Volume 18.djvu/31

 Africa Medal” (see Army Order 253, of Dec. 1894) is somewhat of a misnomer, for very frequently the medal has been granted for services in Central Africa and in the Hinterland of the East Coast as for services on the West Coast. In all issues since the original “Ashantee” medal, the clasp only was given to those who already had the medal, so subsequent issues do not make it a new award. As will be seen later, the same medal was subsequently issued with a different ribbon, and so constituted as an entirely new decoration, that could be worn in conjunction with the older one. With the exception of those issued with “Mwele, 1895” engraved on the medal, none of these medals have been issued without a clasp since the original issue for the campaign of 1873–74; and the clasp “Coomassie” that accompanied the first issue is the only one that has been issued to regimental units of the British Army as apart from the West India Regiment and local troops. The duke of Edinburgh was married in January of the year in which this medal was first awarded, and it is said that yellow and black (the Imperial Russian colours) were chosen as the colours of the ribbon, in compliment to his consort the grand duchess Marie of Russia.

25. Arctic, 1876 (2nd Arctic Medal).—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1876. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria, crowned and with veil by G. G. Adams. Legend: VICTORIA REGINA; underneath bust, 1876. Reverse: A ship packed in floe ice; above, an Arctic sky with fleecy clouds in a clear horizon. Ribbon: White (Plate II.). Clasps: Nil.

The award of this grant was notified in an Admiralty Order, dated Nov. 28, 1876, and the award is specified “to all persons, of every rank and class, who were serving on board Her Majesty’s ships ‘Alert’ and ‘Discovery’ during the Arctic Expedition of 1875–1876, and on board the yacht ‘Pandora,’ in her voyage to the Arctic Regions in 1876.” The ‘Pandora’ was owned and sailed by Commander (Sir Allen) Young, R.N.R., whose officers and crew rendered valuable services to Her Majesty’s ships when in the Polar seas. Sixty-three medals were given on board the “Alert,” fifty-seven on board the “Discovery.” The bust on the obverse of this medal has not been reproduced on any other. The reverse (by L. C. Wyon) is copied from a photograph taken during the expedition of the “Alert” and “Discovery” under Sir George Nares, K.C.B.

26. Afghanistan, 1878–80 (2nd Afghan). Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1880. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria, crowned and with veil, by J. E. Boehm. This is the first war medal bearing the imperial title. Legend: VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. Reverse: A column of troops emerging from a mountain-pass, headed by a heavy battery elephant carrying a gun; behind, mounted troops. Above, AFGHANISTAN. In exergue, 1878–79–80. Ribbon: Green, with crimson borders (Plate I.). Clasps: ALI MUSJID, PEIWAR KOTAL, CHARASIA, KABUL, AHMED KHEL, KANDAHAR.

At the conclusion of the first phase of the Second Afghan War, it was proposed that the (Second) India G.S. Medal should be issued for this campaign with clasps “Afghanistan,” “Ali Musjid,” “Peiwar Kotal,” but, after the massacre of Sir P. L. N. Cavagnari and the members and escort of the Embassy at Kabul, Sep. 3, 1879, and the consequent renewal of the war, it was decided to grant a separate medal. The first official intimation of the award is in a telegram from the secretary of state for India to the viceroy, dated Aug. 7, 1880. The award, with the regulations to govern the issue, was promulgated in a G.O. by the governor-general, Dec. 10, 1880, and subsequent G.O.’s. The medal without clasp was awarded to all who had served across the frontier between Nov. 22, 1878, and May 26, 1879 (first phase of the war), and between Sep. 1879, and Aug. 15, 1880 for the Khyber and Kurram Lines, and Sep. 20, 1880, for Southern Afghanistan (second phase of the war). The “Kabul” clasp was awarded to all who had shared in the operations “at and near that place from the 10th to the 23rd Dec., 1879, including the column under the command of Brigadier-General C. J. S. Gough, C.B., which joined Sir Frederick Roberts on the 24th Dec., 1879.” The clasp for “Kandahar” did not include the whole garrison of the beleaguered city, but only the troops that were actually “engaged in the action fought under Sir Frederick Roberts’ command against Sirdar Mahomed Ayub Khan on the 1st Sep., 1880.” The greatest number of clasps with which the medal was issued was four, and the units to which such medals were issued are the 72nd Highlanders, 5th Ghoorkas, 5th Punjab Infantry and 23rd Punjab Pioneers. The bust of the Queen by Sir Edgar Boehm, R.A., has not been reproduced on other war medals.

27. Kabul to Kandahar, 1880.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1880. This decoration took the form of a five-pointed star, 1·9 in. across from point to point, with a ball between the points; between the two topmost points of the star is an Imperial Crown and ring for suspension. Obverse: In the centre the imperial monogram V.R.I., surrounded by a band inscribed KABUL TO KANDAHAR, 1880. Reverse: Plain, with a hollow centre, round which the recipient’s name and regiment are indented in capital letters. The old rainbow-coloured military ribbon is worn with this star.

The grant of this award was first notified in a despatch from the secretary of state for India to the viceroy, dated Nov. 30, 1880. This awarded the decoration “to the force which marched from Kabul to Kandahar,” and later, Aug. 26, 1881, a G.O. by the Governor-General extended the grant “to the troops which then composed the garrison of Kelat-i-Ghilzai, and accompanied the force under the command of Lieutenant-General Sir F. S. Roberts, G.C.B., V.C., from that place to Kandahar.”

28. Egypt, 1882–1889.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1882. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as in the West African Medal. Legend: VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. Reverse: A Sphinx; above, EGYPT; below, 1882. Ribbon: Blue, with two white stripes, forming five -inch stripes (Plate I.). Clasps: ALEXANDRIA, 11th JULY; TEL-EL-KEBIR, SUAKIN, 1884; EL-TEB, TAMAAI, EL-TEB-TAMAAI, THE NILE, 1884–85; ABU KLEA, KIRBEKAN, SUAKIN, 1885; TOFREK, GEMAIZAH, 1888; TOSKI, 1889. This medal was first awarded (Admiralty Circular, Oct. 1882; G.O. by the commander-in-chief, Oct. 17, 1882; and G.O. by governor-general of India, Oct. 27, 1882); to all the Forces, naval and military, present and serving in Egypt between July 16, and Sep. 14, 1882. The first two clasps were also given with this issue. One military officer (Major-General Sir A. B. Tulloch, then of the Welsh Regiment) received the clasp “Alexandria, 11th July,” as he was serving in the fleet as military adviser to Admiral Sir Beauchamp Seymour. A second issue was made in 1884, and with it the next four clasps were given; “Suakin, 1884,” for those who landed at Suakin or Trinkitat between Feb. 19 and March 26, 1884, was, however, only given to those with the 1882 medal, those not so possessed receiving the medal without a clasp. A third issue was made in 1885, the next five clasps accompanying it. “The Nile, 1884–85,” was given to those who served south of Assouan on or before March 7, 1885; “Suakin, 1885,” to those who were engaged in the operations at Suakin between March and May 14, 1885; but the former clasp was only to go to those already possessed of the medal, others received the medal only. The medal alone was also given to all on duty at Suakin between March 27, 1884, and May 14, 1885. No medals were issued with single clasps for “Tofrek,” recipients of which also got clasp “Suakin, 1885,” or “Abu Klea” and “Kirbekan,” recipients of which got also clasp “The Nile, 1884–85.” In 1886, the medal without was issued to those who had not previously received it and had served at, and south of Wady Halfa, between Nov. 30, 1885 and Jan. 11, 1886, but no clasps went with this issue, although the operations included the battle of Ginnis. The last issue was made in 1890. The medal with clasp “Gemaizah, 1888,” to all who were present at that action near Suakin, Dec. 20, 1888; the medal alone to all employed on the Nile at, and south of Korosko, on Aug. 3, 1889, and with clasp “Toski, 1889,” to all present at that action, Aug. 3, 1889. Besides those already enumerated who received the medal without clasp, it was given to officers of hired transports of the mercantile marine, to some civilians, native and European, to the Australian contingent that landed at Suakin, and to the Canadian boatmen employed on the Nile. In fact, not far short of fifty thousand of these medals have been struck, and the numbers issued have exceeded that of any other medal with the exception of that given for the South African War. Seven clasps: “Tel-el-Kebir,” “Suakin, 1884”; “El-Teb-Tamaai”; “The Nile, 1884–85”; “Abu Klea”; “Gemaizah, 1888”; and “Toski, 1889,” were awarded to one officer, Major Beech, late 20th Hussars, who also received the Bronze Star with the clasp “Tokar, 1890.” The medal with six clasps was earned by four men of the 19th Hussars who were Lord Wolseley’s orderlies, and who after having earned the first five clasps enumerated in Major Beech’s medal, went with Lord Wolseley to Suakin and so got the “Suakin, 1885” clasp.

29. Egypt Bronze Star, 1882–93.—Awarded by the Khedive 1883. This decoration is in the shape of a five-pointed star (1·9 in. diameter) connected by a small star and crescent to a laureated bar to which the ribbon is attached. Obverse: A front view of the Sphinx, with the desert and pyramids in the rear. Around a double band, upon which are, above, EGYPT, 1882, and below, in Arabic, “Khedive of Egypt, 1299” (the Hegira date). In the second and third issues the dates are respectively altered to 1884, 1301 and 1884–86 and 1301–4; the fourth and fifth issues are dateless. Reverse: A large raised circle inside which is the Khedivial monogram, T. M. (Tewfik Mahomed), surmounted by a Crown and Crescent and Star. Ribbon: Dark blue (Plate I.). Clasps: TOKAR, 1890.

This star was awarded for the same operations as was the British Egyptian medal above described, but, except for a few officers and men of the Royal Navy, the issue of the clasp TOKAR was confined to British and native officers and men of the Egyptian service.

30. Canada, 1885.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1885. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria as on the West African (“Ashantee”) Medal. Reverse: NORTH WEST CANADA and date, within a maple leaf. Ribbon: Blue-grey, with a crimson stripe on each side (Plate II.). Clasp: SASKATCHEWAN.

This medal, commemorative of services in the Riel Rebellion, was awarded to Canadian forces only.