War Medals and Their HistorySteward, William Augustus
History
War Medals and Their History
Steward, William Augustus
Great Britain. Army -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.; Great Britain. Royal Navy -- Medals, badges, decorations, etc.
=Naga, 1879-80.=--To those engaged in the operations against the Nagas,
an uncivilised race of hillmen in the north-east of Assam, during March
1875, December 1879, and January 1880, a bar inscribed NAGA 1879-80 was
awarded. Only British officers and native troops received this medal
or bar, and it has so far been seldom met with in England. The medals
realise in the sale-room, according to condition, anything between 10s.
and 30s. apiece.
The Naga expeditionary force comprised the 42nd, 43rd, and 44th
Goorkas; 18th Bengal Native Infantry, with the crews of two mountain
guns.
=Sikkim, 1888.=--Another expedition into Sikkim became necessary in
March 1888, owing to an attempt on the part of the Thibetans to annex
the district which lies to the north of Darjeeling. The British field
force under Colonel (afterwards General) T. Graham had to march over
rough mountain tracks, and through dense jungle, where pestilent
leeches, attaching themselves to man and beast, added to the hardships
of the campaign. It was not until September 24th that any really big
action was fought, and that was decisive; the Thibetan army of 10,000
men being attacked on the Tukola ridge, and within a short time totally
routed by the British force of 2,000 with comparatively little loss to
the victors.
The force engaged in this campaign was mainly composed of Goorkas, the
32nd Bengal Pioneers, and two companies of the 2nd Batt. Derbyshire
Regiment. The bar for SIKKIM 1888 was added to the medal already won by
those who had taken part in the Indian wars, and the medal with bar was
granted to those who did not possess one. Bronze medals with the bar
were awarded to authorised followers.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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