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.
=Tofrek.=--At daybreak on March 22nd, 1885, a force again marched
out from Suakin under Major-General Sir John McNeill, V.C.; included
was a naval brigade made up of men from the "Condor," "Carysfort,"
"Coquette," "Dolphin," and "Sphinx," with two Gardner guns, under
Commander Domville, also a battalion of marines. The object of the
force was to construct zarebas, which were to be garrisoned by the
49th Regiment. The troops, having made good progress with their work,
were taking things rather easily--some were breakfasting--when the
sudden appearance of the enemy caused great confusion. Roaring camels,
screaming mules, and frightened camp followers helped to make the
confusion worse confounded as the Arabs hewed their way through the
terrified animals and the helpless camp followers. The soldiers hastily
rushed for their rifles, and endeavoured to form squares, into one of
which, formed by the marines, about 60 Arabs forced their way, but
never got out again. Again the Gardner guns jammed, and the unfortunate
seamen had a bad time, as the howling Dervishes rushed into their
zareba. In half an hour, however, the fight subsided, but not until a
naval lieutenant and 6 men had been killed, and a number wounded. After
this battle the men of the naval brigade returned to their ships, and
the troops evacuated Suakin.
The Egyptian medal, described on page 211, with the bar for TOFREK, was
awarded to the sailors and marines who took part in the battle.
=Bars for Second Sudan War.=--To those who had taken part in the war
in the vicinity of Suakin in the Eastern Sudan the Egyptian medal
was awarded with five bars. Those already in possession of the medal
received the bars to which their services entitled them. All who
served south of Assouan on or before March 7th, 1885, received the
medal with a bar for THE NILE 1884-5, if not already in possession of
one; likewise those who served at Suakin from March 27th, 1884, to
May 14th, 1885. A bar inscribed ABU-KLEA was issued to all who took
part in the fight on January 17th, 1885. A bar inscribed KIRBEKAN was
awarded to those who took part in the action on February 10th, 1885,
in which a small naval brigade was present with a Maxim gun. A bar
with the record SUAKIN 1885 was issued to those who participated in the
operations round that place between March 1st and May 14th, 1885, and
a bar with TOFREK to those who took active part in the action on March
22nd, 1885. It should be particularly noted that no medals bearing
single bars for ABU-KLEA, KIRBEKAN, or TOFREK were issued, and that
these should be in conjunction with either SUAKIN 1885, or in the case
of ABU-KLEA or KIRBEKAN with THE NILE 1884-5. Medals without bars were
issued to the troops who were located in Egypt but did not participate
in any of the engagements. The medals are boldly named in Roman
capitals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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