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Category: Great Britain

The Khedive’s Star

The Khedive’s Star is a campaign medal established in 1882 by Khedive Tewfik Pasha to reward those who had participated in the military campaigns in Egypt and Sudan between 1882 and 1891.

The British success in the war strengthened the position of the Khedive of Egypt, Tewfik Pasha, a supporter of the British government, who decided to reward all British and Indian soldiers who took part in the fighting and who had received the British Egypt Medal.

The award included British forces who served during the 1882 Anglo-Egyptian War and the subsequent Mahdist War, who received both the British Egypt Medal and the Khedive’s Star. The Khedive also made a small number of awards of the Star to Egyptian civilians for non-military service.

Because the award was frequently worn alongside the Egypt Star, it frequently suffered abrasion from its points.

The Khedive’s Star Design

The medal is a five-pointed bronze star darkened by means of lacquer. It was manufactured by Henry Jenkins and Sons of Birmingham, who also made the Kabul to Kandahar Star of 1880.

The obverse depicts, in the centre of the star, an image of the sphinx with the pyramids in the background, all within a ring bearing the word “EGYPT” and the appropriate date, under the corresponding Arabic inscription. The reverse bears the monogram of Tawfiq Pasha, crowned.

The suspension bar for the blue 37 mm wide ribbon bears a crescent and a star. The medal was issued unnamed, although some recipients arranged privately for their details to be engraved on the reverse.

The Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal

The Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal is a British campaign medal awarded for three campaigns in and around the Cape of Good Hope.

The Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal is a British campaign medal established in 1900 and awarded to members of the Cape Colonial Forces who took part in three campaigns in and around the Cape of Good Hope, in Basutoland in 1880–1881, in Transkei in 1880–1881 and in Bechuanaland in 1896–1897.

The medal was authorized by the government of the Cape of Good Hope, and approved by Queen Victoria in December 1900. It was awarded to the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the Colonial Forces who were engaged in active service during the mentioned campaigns. Three campaign clasps were authorized at the same time:

  • Transkei (from 13 September 1880 to 13 May 1881)
  • Basutoland (from 13 September 1880 to 27 April 1881)
  • Bechuanaland (from 24 December 1896 to 30 July 1897)

In total 1,093 Transkei, 2,179 Basutoland and 2,601 Bechuanaland clasps were awarded.

The Cape of Good Hope General Service Medal Design

The medal is circular and struck in silver. It was designed by Sir Joseph Boehm and measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the veiled bust of Queen Victoria, with the legend “VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX” around the inside of the raised rim. 

The reverse bears the Cape of Good Hope coat of arms, with a spray of protea leaves and a protea flower underneath and the name “CAPE OF GOOD HOPE” on a wide raised rim around the top half of the medal.

The ribbon is dark blue with a central yellow stripe. These were also the ribbon colours of the two earlier campaign medals for service in southern Africa. The medal is affixed to the swivelling suspender by means of claws and a pin through the upper edge of the medal. The recipient’s rank, name and unit were inscribed on the rim, but the medals were not numbered.

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Kars

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Kars was instituted by the Sultan of Turkey in 1854 and awarded to officers and men of British forces who were present during the siege of Kars by 50,000 Russian troops.

The silver medal was awarded to the British officers present including the British Commissioner, Brigadier General Sir William Fenwick Williams. Lt C. C. Teesdale was awarded the Victoria Cross for his part in the action.

The city of Kars, in north-eastern Turkey, was a possession of the Ottoman Empire between 1378 and 1877. Over the course of the nineteenth century, it became a frequent target of Russian attacks because it was exposed and in a strategic position. Defended successfully in 1821, Kars fell in 1828, but was recovered in time to be a target anew in the Crimean War. The Russians decided as almost the last gasp of the war to open a new front directly attacking the Ottoman Empire. Kars stood in their path, and withstood a five-month siege. Facing winter without resupply, and with snowfall preventing their relief, the garrison surrendered on 26 November 1855.

The medals were issued unnamed.

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Kars Design

The medal is circular and struck in gold or silver. It measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the tughra (cipher) of Sultân Abdül-Mejîd I within a wreath. The reverse bears a flag flying from the citadel and an inscription in Turkish reading: “Kars 1272 AH (1855)”.

The medal is pierced for ribbon suspension with a ring and flat suspension bar.

The ribbon is crimson with green edges.

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Silistria

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Silistria was instituted by the Sultan of Turkey in 1854 and awarded to officers and men of British forces who were present during the actual siege of Silistria by 30,000 Russian troops. Only seven British officers were there at the time and qualified for the medal – although the medal was issued unnamed.

The Siege of Silistria took place during the Crimean War. Russian forces besieged the Ottoman fortress of Silistria and, while initially successful, the Russians were forced after several weeks to abandon the siege and retreat due to political pressure.

The Turkish Medal for the Defense of Silistria Design

The medal is circular and struck in gold or silver. It measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the tughra (cipher) of Sultân Abdül-Mejîd I in a wreath. The reverse bears a flag flying from the ramparts. The river Danube is depicted in the foreground, and an inscription in Turkish reads: “Silistria 1271 AH (1854)”.

The medal is pierced for ribbon suspension with a ring and flat suspension bar.

The ribbon is crimson with green edges.

The Turkish Medal for Glory

The Turkish Medal for Glory was instituted by the Sultan of Turkey in 1853 and awarded to officers and men of British forces for participation in the Danube Campaign early in the Crimean War against Russia, at Silistria and Giurgevo, and later for other campaigns where no specific campaign medal was struck.

The medal is sometimes also referred to as the General Service Medal or Danube Medal.

The Turkish Medal for Glory Design

The medal is circular and struck in gold or silver. It measures 31 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the tughra (cipher) of Sultân Abdül-Mejîd I above the date ‘1270’ (AH1270 = 1853AD) within a beaded circle imposed on crossed standards and a laurel wreath. There’s also a left-facing crescent and faceted six-pointed star above.

The reverse bears a faceted six-pointed star imposed on a faceted twelve-pointed star above a ribbon inscribed in Arabic letters ‘Nishani Iftihar’ (Order of Glory), a six-pointed star to either side and one below on a spray of laurel.

The medal is pierced for ribbon suspension with ring and flat suspension bar. The ribbon is crimson with green edges.

The Turkish Crimea Medal

The Turkish Crimean War Medal is a campaign medal issued by Sultan Abdülmecid I to allied military personnel involved in the Crimean War.

The Turkish Crimean War Medal (or Kırım Harbi Madalyası in Turkish) is a campaign medal issued by Sultan Abdülmecid I of the Ottoman Empire to allied military personnel involved in the Crimean War of 1854–56.

The medal was only awarded to those who survived the war and not to next of kin. The obverse types differed in the arrangement of the flags, corresponding with the inscription in English, French or Italian in the exergue. 

Although the medals were intended to be issued to British, French and Sardinian troops respectively, they were issued haphazardly due to most of the British version being lost at sea.

British recipients also qualified for the British Crimea Medal.

The Turkish Crimea Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver and measures 36 mm in diameter. It was designed by James Robertson.

The obverse shows a cannon standing upon the Imperial Russian flag, with an anchor and a mortar, weapons, and the four Allied flags with the name and date in the exergue.

The reverse bears the Ottoman Sultan’s tughra with the Muslim calendar year of 1271 on all versions. The identifying flag is the central right-hand flag, positioned above the anchor, the Union Flag for Great Britain, the tricolor for France, or the flag of the Kingdom of Sardinia, based on the Italian tricolor. Since Sardinia was ruled at the time by the House of Savoy, this flag has the Savoy shield in the central panel. The Turkish flag is placed center-left on all three versions.

The ribbon is crimson with green edges.

The Sir Harry Smith’s Medal for Gallantry

The Sir Harry Smith’s Medal for Gallantry is an unofficial military decoration privately instituted in 1851 by Major General Sir Henry George Wakelyn Smith for bravery, awarded for actions following the siege of Fort Cox in December 1850, at the beginning of the 8th Cape Frontier War. Smith was at the time the Governor and Commander-in-Chief of the Cape of Good Hope.

Fort Cox was not provisioned to withstand a long siege, had no artillery, and could only be supplied with water by hazardous expeditions to and from the Keiskamma River far below. Several attempts to relieve the Fort were unsuccessful and Smith, concerned that his being trapped in Fort Cox would affect the Colony’s morale and cause the defection of loyal Xhosa tribes, decided to fight his way out. On 31 December 1850, escorted by about 250 men of the Cape Mounted Riflemen, Smith succeeded to get through the Xhosa lines and safely reached King William’s Town. Fort Cox was finally relieved on 31 January 1851.

Impressed by the showing of the Cape Mounted Riflemen under his command, Smith created Sir Harry Smith’s Medal for Gallantry in recognition of their conduct. In the Colonies and former Boer Republics which became the Union of South Africa in 1910, several unofficial military decorations and medals were instituted and awarded during the nineteenth and early twentieth century.

The Sir Harry Smith’s Medal for Gallantry Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver and measures 34 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows a British lion passant gardant beneath a crown of laurel leaves, with the year “1851” in the exergue. The reverse is plain and has the inscription “PRESENTED BY” around the upper perimeter, “HIS EXCELLENCY“, “SIR H.G. SMITH BART C.G.B.” and “TO” in three lines, with open space for private naming, and “FOR GALLANTRY IN THE FIELD” around the bottom perimeter.

The ribbon is dark blue with crimson edges and measures 32 millimeters wide.

The St. Jean d’Acre Medal

The St. Jean d’Acre Medal was established in 1840 and awarded by the Sultan of Turkey to British, Austrian and Turkish forces under Sir Charles Napier who had taken part in the liberation of the city after eight years of Egyptian occupation.

Like earlier Egyptian rulers, Mehemet Ali wanted to extend the boundaries of Egypt and to control Syria, both for its strategic value and for its natural resources. He began an open revolt against Mahmud II in 1831 and ordered the invasion of Syria. His army quickly overran the region, capturing its largest port, Acre, after a six-month siege. Britain, Austria, Russia and Prussia agreed to offer Mehemet Ali the hereditary rule of Egypt and the administration for life of Acre, in exchange for his withdrawal from the rest of Syria, but Mehemet Ali rejected these terms so a mixed European force (without France) began direct action. In return for the assistance given to Turkey, Mahmud II proposed that, amongst other decorations and rewards, the allied forces present in the Syrian operations would receive a Turkish medal, known to the British as The St. Jean d’Acre medal after the ancient name of the port. Given that there was no precedent for the award of an official medal like this to the massed ranks of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines, let alone one to be issued by a foreign power, the announcement caused great excitement and interest.

The medal is generally accompanied by the Naval General Service Medal with clasp “Syria”, awarded for the same operation.

The St. Jean d’Acre Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in gold (22 gms), silver or copper and measures 30 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows a fortress flying the Ottoman flag, with six five-pointed stars around the top. On the foot, there’s a commemorative inscription and date in Arabic. The reverse bears the Toughra of the Sultan in a laurel wreath.

The ribbon is red with white edges.

The British Legion Medal

The British Legion Medal was a British Empire campaign medal instituted in 1836 and presented for service in Spain during the First Carlist War, a civil war that was fought in Spain between 1833 and 1839.

The medal was awarded to all those who volunteered and subsequently served in Spain with the British Auxiliary Legion. It was issued un-named. The British Auxiliary Legion was commanded by General Sir George De Lacey Evans (1787-1870) and volunteered for service in Spain in support of Isabella II who, at the age of three, succeeded her father as a monarch. Her uncle, Don Carlos, opposed this and triggered off a war that lasted until 1840. The war was largely fought in the Northern provinces.

The British Legion Medal Design

The medal is circular, struck in silver or white metal and measures 36 mm in diameter.

The obverse bears a Cross Pattée with the central inscription ‘TUJO’, alluding to the battle at Laguna del Tujo, surrounded by a laurel leaf. The reverse depicts a British lion at the center surrounded by a cordon of the Golden Fleece. The inscription; ‘ESPANA’ is above and ‘AGRADECIDA’ below meaning ‘Grateful Spain’.

The ribbon is broad blue with narrow yellow stripes towards the edges. The medal is fitted with a ring for suspension from a double-looped bar and has a brooch fitment at the top of the ribbon.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal, instituted in 1816, was awarded for participation n the Napoleonic Wars against France.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal was instituted in 1816 by Duke August von Sachsen-Gotha und Altenburg and awarded for participation n the Napoleonic Wars against France in 1814-1815.

The medal was established in different versions for officers, for non-commissioned officers and for other ranks. A reduced-size version for officers was also created. Gilded medals were issued to officers, NCOs received bronze medals with gilt raised points and other ranks a bronze version.

The Saxe-Gotha Altenburg Waterloo Medal Design

The medal is struck in gilt bronze or bronze and measures 42 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows a crown with the legend “IM KAMPFE FUER DAS RECHT” (translated to “In the struggle for the right”). The reverse bears an ornate rose motif with the name of the duchy and the dates of the campaign in roman numerals. 

The ribbon is green with black edges and gold stripes.

The Different Waterloo Medals

The Waterloo medal was issued by the British Government to all soldiers present during action. Seven nations of the Seventh Coalition struck differently designed medals for soldiers who took part in the campaign. These are:

The Waterloo Medal - British Medals Pre-WW1

The Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a British military medal established in 1816-17 and struck for all those who participated in the Waterloo campaign.

British Campaign Medals: The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal

The Brunswick Waterloo Medal was a campaign medal awarded to those who participated in the Battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal

The Hanoverian Waterloo Medal was issued to all members of the Hanoverian army who fought in the battles of Quatre Bras and Waterloo.

British Campaign Medals: The Nassau Medal for Waterloo

The Nassau Waterloo Medal

The Waterloo Medal is a campaign of the Duchy of Nassau established by Frederick Augustus, Duke of Nassau on 23 December 1815.

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