31. Canada (General Service).—Awarded, 1899. Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria, as in Third India G. S. Medal. Reverse: Within a maple wreath, the Dominion flag, above, CANADA. Ribbon: Red, with white centre (Plate II.). Clasps: FENIAN RAID, 1866; FENIAN RAID, 1870; RED RIVER, 1870. One battalion of the King’s Royal Rifles received this medal with the Red River Clasp. Otherwise issue confined to Canadian forces.
32. “Queen’s” Sudan, 1896–1898.—Awarded by Queen Victoria, 1899. Obverse: Half-length effigy of Queen Victoria holding sceptre, by De Saulles, as in “Uganda” medal described below. Reverse: A winged Victory, seated, with, on either hand, the Union Jack and the Egyptian flag. The left hand holds a laurel wreath, the right a palm branch. On a tablet below, SUDAN, and below this lotus leaves. Ribbon: Half black, half yellow, divided by a narrow red stripe (Plate I.). Clasps: none.
Given for the operations under the command of Sir Herbert (Lord) Kitchener, which led to the reconquest of the Sudan, 1898; issued in bronze to followers.
33. “Khedive’s” Sudan, 1896–1900.—Awarded by the khedive in 1897. Obverse: “Abbas Hilmi II.” and date, in Arabic. Reverse: A trophy of arms with a shield in the centre, on a tablet below “Recovery of the Sudan,” in Arabic. Ribbon: Yellow, with blue centre (Plate I.). Clasps: FIRKET, HAFIR, SUDAN, 1897; SUDAN, 1898; ABU HAMED, THE ATBARA, KHARTOUM GEDAREF,[1] SUDAN, 1899;[1] SUDAN, 1900;[1] CEDID,[1] BAHR-EL-GHAZAL, 1900–1902;[1] TEROK,[1] NYAM NYAM,[1] TALODI.[1]
This medal was awarded to officers and men of the British Navy and Army, to the Egyptian Army engaged in the reconquest of the Sudan and (in bronze without clasps) to followers.
34. Cape Colony General Service, 1900.—Awarded by the government of Cape Colony. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria as on the Volunteer Long Service Medal. Reverse: Arms of Cape Colony. Ribbon: Dark blue, with yellow centre (Plate II.) Clasps: BASUTOLAND, TRANSKEI, BECHUANALAND. Issued to Colonial troops only, for services in various minor campaigns.
35. Matabeleland, 1893 (called the Rhodesia Medal).—Awarded by the British South Africa Company, 1896. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria. Reverse: A fighting lion. Ribbon: Orange, with three dark blue stripes (Plate II.). Clasps: RHODESIA and MASHONALAND, with dates.
This is the first war medal issued by a chartered company since the close of the Company’s rule in India. It was awarded to British officers and men of the British service, to the Cape Mounted Rifles, Bechuanaland police, and the Chartered Company’s own forces, engaged in the Matabeleland and Mashonaland Campaigns 1893, 1896 and 1897.
36. East and Central Africa, 1891–98.—Awarded by Queen Victoria in 1895. Obverse and Reverse: as in West African (or original Ashantee) Medal described above. Ribbon: Terra-cotta, white and black stripes (Plate II.). Clasps: CENTRAL AFRICA, 1894–96; CENTRAL AFRICA, 1899.
This medal only differs from the West African in that it has a different ribbon. It is suspended by a ring. Practically only the local forces (and of course their British officers) received this medal. But a few officers and men of the Indian Army and of the Royal Navy have also received it.
37. East and Central Africa, 1899 (the “Uganda” Medal )—Awarded by Queen Victoria in 1899. Obverse: Half-length effigy of Queen Victoria, by De Saulles. Reverse: Britannia with lion, gazing over a desert towards a rising sun. Ribbon: Half red, half yellow (Plate II.). Clasps: LUBWA’S, UGANDA, 1897–98; UGANDA, 1899; UGANDA, 1900.
This medal was awarded to the local forces and also to officers and men of the Indian Army and Royal Navy.
38. Ashanti Star, 1896.—Awarded by Queen Victoria in 1896. Obverse: An imperial crown with “Ashanti, 1896” round it. Reverse: Inscribed “from the Queen.” The star is four-pointed, and is crossed by a saltire or St Andrew’s cross. Ribbon: Yellow with black stripes (Plate II.).
This medal was issued for the expedition against Prempeh in 1896. As there was no actual fighting, no medal was given, but sickness claimed many victims, amongst them Prince Henry of Battenberg. The decoration was issued to officers and men of the British Army, Royal Navy and local troops.
39. Ashanti Medal, 1900.—Awarded by King Edward VII. in 1901. Obverse: Head and bust of King Edward VII. in the uniform of a field-marshal, by De Saulles. Reverse: a lion standing on a cliff, in the background the rising sun. Ribbon: Green with black edges and black central stripe (Plate II.). Clasp: KUMASSI.
This medal was the first which was issued with an effigy of King Edward VII. It was given only to local forces, and the British officers employed on the staff or in commands.
40. Africa General Service, 1899–.—Awarded by King Edward VII. in 1902. Obverse: As in Ashanti Medal of 1900. Reverse: As in “Uganda” Medal above described. Ribbon: Yellow, with black edges and two narrow green stripes (Plate II.). Clasps: N. NIGERIA, with various dates; S. NIGERIA, with various dates; UGANDA, 1900; JUBALAND, GAMBIA, LANGO, 1901 and 1902; JIDBALLI, KISSI, 1905; SOMALILAND, 1901 and 1902–04; BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA, 1899–1900; ARO, 1901–02.
This medal represents an almost incessant warfare of a minor, but exacting, nature. In the first eighteen months, eleven clasps were awarded, some awards being of course retrospective. The clasp “Jubaland” is chiefly a naval award, but all the rest are almost exclusively earned by the West African Frontier Force and the King’s African Rifles. It is worthy of remembrance, however, that a contingent of Boer mounted riflemen took art in the Somaliland Campaign, within one year of the peace of Vereeniging, and received the medal and clasp. The “Somaliland, 1902–1904” clasp represents indeed a considerable campaign in which contingents from Great Britain and India took part.
41. “Queen’s” South African, 1899–1902.—Awarded by King Edward VII. in 1901 shortly after Queen Victoria’s death. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria, by De Saulles. Reverse: Britannia holding an outstretched laurel wreath towards a body of troops, in the background a coast line, the sea and war-ships. Ribbon: Centre orange bordered with blue, outside edges red (Plate II.). Clasps; see below.
The “Queen’s” medal for troops engaged in the South African War was authorized, shortly after Queen Victoria’s death, by Army Order 94 of 1901. It was given “to all officers, warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men, of the British, Indian and Colonial forces, and to all Nurses and Nursing Sisters, who actually served in South Africa between 11th of October 1899, and a date to be fixed hereafter” (the war not being concluded) “to all troops stationed in Cape Colony and Natal at the outbreak of hostilities, and to troops stationed at St Helena between the 14th of April 1900, and a date to be fixed hereafter.” The last provision shows a widening of the signification hitherto attaching to “war service,” for the troops at St Helena were employed in guarding Boer prisoners. The A.O. referred to was supplemented by others in 1901 and 1902. Clasps were authorized as follows: BELMONT (Nov. 23, 1899); MODDER RIVER (Nov. 28, 1899); PAARDEBERG (Feb. 17–26, 1900); DREIFONTEIN (March 10, 1900); WEPENER (April 9–25, 1900); JOHANNESBURG (May 29, 1900); DIAMOND HILL (June 11–12, 1900); BELFAST (Aug. 26–27, 1900); WITTEBERGEN (July 1–29, 1900); DEFENCE OF KIMBERLEY (Oct. 14, 1899, Feb. 15, 1900); RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY (Feb. 15, 1900); DEFENCE OF MAFEKING (Oct. 13, 1899—May 17, 1900); RELIEF OF MAFEKING (May 17, 1900); TALANA (Oct. 20, 1899); ELANDSLAAGTE (Oct. 21, 1899); DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH (Nov. 3, 1899—Feb. 28, 1900); TUGELA HEIGHTS (Feb. 14–27, 1900); RELIEF OF LADYSMITH (Dec. 15, 1899—Feb. 28, 1900); LAING’S NEK (June 2–9, 1900). Clasps: for CAPE COLONY, NATAL, ORANGE FREE STATE and RHODESIA, were given to troops who served within the limits of the respective colonies and states named during the war, without being present at any action, fought inside those limits, for which a clasp was awarded. Non-enlisted men, of whatever nationality, who drew military pay, were awarded the medal in bronze instead of silver and without clasps. Militia units which volunteered and were sent to Mediterranean stations to release the regulars for field service were awarded (Feb. 1902) the medal without clasp, “Mediterranean” being substituted for “South Africa” on the reverse. This was not, of course, issued to any one entitled to the Queen’s Medal for South Africa.
43. The “King’s” South African Medal was awarded by King Edward VII. in 1902, to be worn in addition to the “Queen’s” by those who completed eighteen months’ service in South Africa during the war. On the obverse of the medal is the effigy of King Edward, by De Saulles (as on the “Ashanti, 1900,” Medal); the reverse is the same as that of the “Queen’s” Medal. Ribbon: Green, white and orange (Plate II.). The two clasps awarded were, in accordance with the terms of the award, general in character, to wit, SOUTH AFRICA, 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA, 1902.
44. China, 1900.—Awarded by King Edward VII., 1902. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria as on “Queen’s” South African Medal. Reverse: As on first China Medal, but with date altered. Ribbon: As in first China Medal (Plate I.). Clasps: DEFENCE OF LEGATIONS, RELIEF OF PEKIN, TAKU FORTS.
This medal was issued to the Royal Navy (including some Naval volunteers), British and Indian Armies, and the (Wei-hai-Wei) Chinese Regiment, for operations during the Boxer rebellion. This was the last war medal, as the “First China” was the first to bear Queen Victoria’s effigy. Sir E. H. Seymour, the commander of the Tientsin relieving column, who had taken part in the former China War, received the new medal as well as the old.
45. India, 1895 (Third India General Service).—Awarded by Queen Victoria in 1896. Obverse: Bust of Queen Victoria, by T. Brock, R.A. Reverse: A British and Indian soldier supporting a standard; below, INDIA, 1895. Ribbon: Three red and two green stripes of equal width (Plate I.). Clasps: DEFENCE OF CHITRAL, 1895; RELIEF OF CHITRAL, 1895; MALAKAND, 1898; PUNJAB FRONTIER, 1898; TIRAH, 1897; TIRAH, 1898; WAZIRISTAN, 1901–02.
The ribbon of this medal is perhaps more frequently seen than
