The Transport Medal was a British campaign medal awarded by the Lord Commissioners of the Admiralty to masters and officers of merchant ships employed by the Transport Service to move troops to either South Africa during the South African War or to China during the Boxer Rebellion. The Transport Medal was created on 8 November 1903 and officers of hospital ships used in the campaigns also qualified.
It was intended that the medal would be awarded for future conflicts, but was not awarded again after the South Africa and China wars.
The Transport Medal Design
The obverse of the medal bears the head of King Edward VII in Royal Navy uniform, with the inscription EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR. The reverse depicts HMS Ophir beneath a map of the world with, below, the words in Latin OB PATRIAM MILITIBUS PER MARE TRANSVECTIS ADJUTAM which translates as for services rendered in transporting troops by sea.
Two clasps were awarded: S.AFRICA 1899–1902 (for services related to the South African War) and CHINA 1900 (for services related to the Boxer Rebellion).
A total of 1,719 medals were awarded, 1,219 with the ‘S. Africa 1899-1902’ clasp, 322 with the ‘China 1900’ clasp and 178 with both clasps.
