Campaign medals considered—Waterloo—Burmah—China—Cabul—Jellalabad—Scinde—Meeanee —Sobraon—The men's Peninsular medal—Punjab—Indian General Service medals—South Africa, 1850-3; also 1877-9—Baltic—Crimea—Indian Mutiny—Abyssinia—New Zealand—Later awards
In these days when the deeds of brave men, whether they be of high or low rank, are acclaimed with equal praise, it is extremely difficult to understand the feelings which actuated the authorities a hundred or more years ago when awarding military medals. Parliament, though it was supposed to represent the masses, decided time after time in these early years of the nineteenth century that decorations were only meant for soldiers of rank and that the common men had neither claim nor title to them. The usual plea was that the ordinary soldier had been paid for his services, and there the nation's obligation to him was at an end. Somehow or other, the authorities seem to have shut their eyes to the fact that the same argument could be applied with equal force to the commanders of the Army. It is somewhat lamentable to note that even so grand a soldier as the Duke of Wellington argued in favour of withholding rewards from the rank and file, and his opinion, we may be sure, had great influence in certain high quarters.
But in spite of the decided opinions held by those in authority, there was a strong party of agitators who opposed these narrow views. To them must be accredited much, for in face of every conceivable obstacle they left no stone unturned until the coveted awards were shared by men as well as commanders. In the early days which followed Waterloo this little band displayed particular activity. "Are our ordinary soldiers, fresh home from the Belgian battlefields, to go unrewarded as the Peninsular heroes have done?" was their constant cry. The people took up the matter, and only when absolutely forced to did Parliament agree to strike a medal for all ranks of the victorious army. The official decree ran as follows:—
"The Prince Regent has been graciously pleased in the name and on behalf of His Majesty to command that in commemoration of the brilliant and decisive victory of Waterloo, a medal shall be conferred upon every officer, non-commissioned officer, and soldier present upon that memorable occasion.
By command of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent.
Frederick, Commander-in-Chief."
Undoubtedly the innovation of rewarding the rank and file as well as the officers created much satisfaction. The people openly displayed their approval, the soldiers were pleased beyond measure, and the Press spoke of the change as a step in the right direction; such, at any rate, is the impression one gathers from reading articles bearing on the matter in contemporary numbers of the Quarterly Review.
The Waterloo medal bore on the obverse a profile of George and the inscription "George P. Regent." On the reverse was a winged figure of Victory seated upon a rectangular scroll bearing the word "Waterloo," and the date "June 18, 1815." The reverse design was obviously copied from a coin of Elias which is exhibited in the British Museum. The ribbon was of red silk flanked with blue edges. This material was passed through a circular ring and not through a horizontal slot, as is customary to-day.
The award was received by all grades of men who were present at the Battle of Ligny, June 16th; Quatre Bras, June 17th; Waterloo, June 18th; as well as by certain forces which were posted in the rear of the battlefield on June 18th. Certain German troops were also decorated with this award.
The collector will often come across specimens of this medal, which are provided with slots instead of rings for holding the ribbon in position. Many of the original recipients preferred this latter method of attachment and made the alteration themselves. Such specimens, therefore, are not in strict accordance with the official pattern and are in consequence of less value than the unaltered kind.
Some ten years elapsed before the next medal, styled the First Burmah Medal, 1824-6, was struck. This being an Indian award, no royal features were portrayed. On the obverse was a palm-tree and an army storming an Eastern city, probably Rangoon; there was also a Persian inscription in the exergue. On the reverse, a lion was encountering a white elephant, and a British flag waved prominently in the background. The decoration was struck in gold for officers, and silver for men of other standing. For the first time with Indian medals, a definite ribbon, red and blue, was prescribed.