Category: Round and Oval

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1851
• Country: Great Britain

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.

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1836
• Country: Great Britain

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.

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1836
• Country: Great Britain

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.

• Time Period: Pre-WW1
• Year of Institution: 1806
• Country: Great Britain

The Battle of Maida Medal was established in 1806 and awarded to the thirteen senior officers involved in the battle of Maida. Only an unknown number of gold and silver specimens are known to exist.

The Battle of Maida was fought on 4 July 1806 was a battle between the British expeditionary force under General Sir John Stuart and a much larger French force outside the town of Maida in Calabria, Italy during the Napoleonic Wars. Sir John Stuart’s forces numbered about 4,500, while Marshal Reynier’s force consisted of more than 6,000. French casualties were heavy, estimated to be in excess of 2,000, while those of the British were limited to less than 400.

The Battle of Maida was the British Army’s first victory since the beginning of the French Revolution on mainland Europe. It shattered Napoleon’s aura of invincibility, created by his outstanding victories such as Marengo and Austerlitz. It also proved to the Duke of Wellington, who received a report on the battle, that British lines could beat French columns.

The Maida Gold Medal Design

The medal is struck in gold and measures 39 mm in diameter.

The obverse shows the laureated profile of George III. The reverse bears the winged figure of Victory hovering with a laurel wreath over the head of Britannia. Britannia has her shield upraised and is in the act of throwing a spear. The name and date of the battle appear on her left, with the trinacria or three-legged emblem on the right.

The ribbon measures 38mm wide and is crimson edged with navy blue.