War Medals and Their History

by William Augustus Steward

The following British regiments were engaged in the campaign: 1st Grenadier Guards; 1st Seaforth and 1st Cameron Highlanders; 1st Warwicks; 1st Northumberland Fusiliers; 2nd Lancashire Fusiliers; 1st Lincolns; 2nd Rifle Brigade; a detachment of 1st Royal Irish Fusiliers, with 4 Maxim guns; 16th Company Eastern Division R.A.; 32nd and 37th Field Batteries R.A.; 21st Lancers; a detachment of Royal Engineers; Army Service and Army Ordnance Corps; Royal Army Medical Corps.

Sudan, 1899, and Gedid.—Early in 1900 a bar bearing the record SUDAN 1899 was awarded to those who had taken part in the second Dongola campaign, and a medal with bar for GEDID was issued to those who were engaged in the actions at that place on November 22nd and 24th, 1899, which resulted in the defeat of the Khalifa Abdulla El Taaishi. Bronze medals were issued to the civilian syces and authorised camp followers. The number of bars issued with the Khedive's Sudan medal varies from one to eight, but it is seldom that European soldiers received medals with more than two bars. European officers in some instances received more, but Major-General Sir Archibald Hunter, I think, has the distinction of possessing one bearing six bars.

Three Later Bars.—In 1905 and 1906 it was decided to add three more bars to the Khedive's Sudan medal, one for BAHR-EL-GHAZEL 1900-2 for services rendered in the reconquest of that province; one for JEROK for operations in the Blue Nile province against Wad-el-Mahmud in 1904; one for NYAM-NYAM to those employed against the Nyam-Nyam tribesmen in the province of Bahr-el-Ghazel in 1905.

Queen's Sudan Medal.—In March 1899 Her Majesty Queen Victoria approved of a new medal being struck to commemorate the military operations in connection with the reconquest of the Sudan. The medal, 1⅖ in. in diameter, in silver was granted to all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the British, Indian, and Egyptian forces, and native allies who were employed in the military operations in Egypt resulting in the capture of Abu-Hamed, the reconquest of the Province of Berber, the defeat of Emir Mahmud's army on the Atbara, and the final operations resulting in the overthrow of the Khalifa's troops at Khartoum. Civilian syces, civilian servants of officers, and authorised followers were entitled to the medal in bronze. No bars were issued with this medal. On the obverse is a half-length effigy of Queen Victoria, facing left, crowned, with a lace veil flowing behind, on which a small Imperial crown is placed, wearing the Ribbon and Star of the Order of the Garter, the Royal Order of Victoria and Albert, and the Imperial Order of the Crown of India, holding a sceptre in her right hand. Legend, VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. On the reverse is a figure of a winged Victory seated, having a palm-branch in her outstretched right hand, and a laurel wreath in her left. There are two flags behind on either side—the British being on the left and the Khedive's to the right; beneath on the pedestal which supports the figure is the word SUDAN in intaglio, the space beneath the pedestal being filled by the decorative disposition of three lilies of the Nile in leaf. This is, in my opinion, the most symbolic and beautiful medal issued since Wyon took for his model a Greek coin, and based his figure of Victory—which adorns the Waterloo medal—upon it. The name of the recipient, together with his rank and regiment, was generally engraved upon the edge of the medal in neat Roman capitals. I have seen some with the lettering impressed in very small Roman capitals. The medal is suspended by a straight bar from a black and yellow ribbon 1¼ in. wide, divided down the centre by a narrow crimson stripe.

East and Central Africa Medal.—A medal to replace the old one with swivel ring was issued to those who took part in the troubles which occurred in the Uganda Protectorate during 1897 and 1898. The medal, 1⅖ in. in diameter, had on the obverse the same bust of Queen Victoria as the Sudan medal, and on the reverse Britannia with the British lion beside her, holding out in her left hand a palm branch and a scroll toward the rising sun, and in her right a trident. In the exergue, in Roman capitals, is the denomination EAST AND CENTRAL AFRICA. The medal for Somaliland 1902-4 (illustrated facing page [296]) is the same but for the inscription in the exergue. Two bars were issued with the medal, LUBWA'S and UGANDA 1897-8. A bar with the date 1898 was issued to those who fought against the Ogaden Somalis from April to August 1898, and a bar for UGANDA 1899 was awarded to those employed in the military operations against Kabarega in the Protectorate between March and May 1899. The ribbon, 1¼ in. wide, is half red and yellow, and the names, etc., of recipients are impressed or engraved on the edge in light Roman capitals.

Royal Niger Co.'s Medal.—For participation in military operations in the Niger Company's territories during the period of 1886 to 1897 the Company awarded a silver medal to the members of its executive staff, and bronze medals to the natives. The names of the recipients were impressed upon the silver medals, but the native's number only was indented upon the edge of the bronze medals issued to those who were actually serving on December 31st, 1899. These medals, which were struck by Messrs. Spink & Son, bear on the obverse the diademed bust of Queen Victoria, and on the reverse a shield bearing a Y-shaped elevation, with the words ARS, JUS, PAX; behind the shield is a trophy of arms and flags. This medal, 1½ in. in diameter, is suspended from a ribbon 1½ in. wide, composed of three equal stripes of yellow, black, and white, by means of a straight clasp. The bars, 1⅖ in. long by ³∕₁₀ in. wide, have the record NIGERIA 1886-1897 attached to the silver medals, but NIGERIA only on the bronze.

Ashanti, 1900.—After the rebellion of certain native tribes had been quelled, and the siege of Kumassi raised, King Edward VII approved of a medal—the first bearing his effigy—being issued to those who had taken part in the operations, and a bar inscribed KUMASSI also to those who had defended or relieved the city. On the obverse is the bemedalled bust of King Edward in Field-Marshal's uniform, which was used later on the South Africa medal 1901-2; on the reverse is modelled a lion looking toward the left of the medal, where the rising sun is depicted behind a hill. The lion is statant gardent in front of an African shield, whereon are two assegais, one being significantly broken; below is a plain panel with the word ASHANTI. The ribbon is alternately black and green—three black and two green stripes. The suspender is straight, and the names, etc., of recipients—mostly native soldiery—indented in small block letters on the edge of the medal, a few were issued engraved. The Flying Column was composed of 100 of the West African Regiment, 250 of the 2nd Central African Regiment, 350 West African Frontier Force, and 40 Sierra Leone Police with 2 guns. Some men of the 3rd W.I.R. also received the medal with bar for Kumassi.

KING EDWARD'S MILITIA LONG SERVICE MEDAL.