Egypt Medal (1801)

Last updated
Egypt Medal
Egypt Medal, 1801.jpg
Obverse of the medal depicted on a cigarette card
Type Campaign medal
Awarded forCampaign service
Presented by Flag of the British East India Company (1801).svg the
East India Company (EIC)
EligibilityEIC and British forces
Campaign(s) Egypt, 1801
Established1802 (distributed from 1811)
Total16 gold and 2,200 silver medals
Yellow cord suspension for early medals of the HEIC.png
Suspension cord for the medal

The Egypt Medal is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to members of the expeditionary force that travelled from India to take part in the 1801 Egyptian campaign, a part of the French Revolutionary Wars. [1]

Contents

Criteria

The medal was awarded to the soldiers of the Major General Baird's division, comprising both East India Company (EIC) and British Army units, that sailed from Bombay to Egypt in March 1801 to take part in the campaign against the French. [2] After being present at the successful sieges of Cairo in June, and Alexandria in August and September, the division returned to India in early 1802. [3]

The medal was authorised in July 1802 by Marquess Wellesley, the Governor-General of India, [4] although the medals were only finally completed and distributed from 1811. [5] [6] Troops from Bengal received the medal in gold for more senior officers (16 awarded) and in silver for other ranks (760 awarded), while all members of the Bombay contingent were issued with silver medals (1,439 awarded). [7]

Only those who sailed from India with General Baird's division were entitled to the medal, [8] including those who did not reach Egypt. [4] Others, including members of the 61st Foot who joined the division in Egypt, having travelled from the Cape of Good Hope, were ineligible. [7] Surviving British Army and Royal Navy Egypt veterans who had not received the earlier Egypt Medal were however eligible for either the Military or Naval General Service Medal with clasp Egypt when this clasp was authorised in 1850. [9]

Description

The medal was engraved and struck at the Calcutta Mint in gold and in silver. Both types were 1.9 inches (48 mm) in diameter [10] with the following design: [7]
The obverse depicts a sepoy holding a Union Jack with an encampment in the background. Below is the Persian inscription This medal has been presented in commemoration of the defeat of the French armies in the Kingdom of Egypt by the great bravery of the victorious army of England.
The reverse shows a ship of the line under full sail towards the Egyptian coast, with an obelisk and four pyramids in the background. In the exergue is the date MDCCCI (1801).
The medal was issued unnamed.
The suspension is a flattened loop, pinned at the base, through which passes a yellow suspension cord allowing the medal to be worn around the neck.

Specimens in bronze and bronze gilt are later strikings and were not issued. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Military General Service Medal</span> Award

The Military General Service Medal (MGSM) was a campaign medal approved in 1847 and issued to officers and men of the British Army in 1848.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">India General Service Medal (1854)</span> Award

The India General Service Medal was a campaign medal approved on 1 March 1854, for issue to officers and men of the British and Indian armies. It was awarded for various minor military campaigns in India and nearby countries, between 1852 and 1895.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baltic Medal</span> Award

The Baltic Medal was a campaign medal approved on 6 June 1856, for issue to officers and men of the Royal Navy, Royal Marines, and Royal Sappers and Miners who served between March 1854 and August 1855 in the Baltic Sea operations against Russia in the Baltic theatre of the Crimean War, or Åland War. The medal primarily covered naval actions but was also awarded to 106 men of the Royal Sappers and Miners who were landed to place demolition charges against Russian fortifications at Bomarsund and Sveaborg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Army of India Medal</span> Award

The Army of India Medal (AIM) was a campaign medal approved in 1851 for issue to officers and men of the British Army and the Army of the Honourable East India Company. A retrospective award following the precedent set by the Naval General Service Medal and the Military General Service Medal, it served to reward service in various actions from 1803 to 1826.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Afghanistan Medal (United Kingdom)</span> Award

The Afghanistan Medal, sanctioned on 19 March 1881, was awarded to members of the British and Indian armies who served in Afghanistan between 1878 and 1880 during the Second Afghan War, the first war being from 1839 to 1842.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efficiency Decoration (South Africa)</span> Award

The Efficiency Decoration , post-nominal letters ED, was instituted in 1930 for award to efficient and thoroughly capable part-time officers in the Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa after twenty years of service. The decoration superseded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Efficiency Medal (South Africa)</span> Award

The Efficiency Medal was instituted in 1930 for award to part-time warrant officers, non-commissioned officers and men after twelve years of efficient service on the active list of the Citizen Force of the Union of South Africa. At the same time, a clasp was instituted for award to holders of the medal upon completion of further periods of six years of efficient service. The medal superseded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Seringapatam Medal</span> East India Company medal for 1799 Battle of Seringapatam during Mysore Wars

The Seringapatam Medal, or Sri Ranga Pattana, is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to all British and Indian soldiers who participated in the British victory in the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khedive's Star</span> Military award

The Khedive's Star was a campaign medal established by Khedive Tewfik Pasha to reward those who had participated in the military campaigns in Egypt and the Sudan between 1882 and 1891. This 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. Cast in bronze and lacquered, it is also known as the Khedive's Bronze Star.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal</span> British Empire naval volunteer medal for part time ratings

The Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, initially designated the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve Long Service Medal, was instituted in 1908. It could be awarded to part-time ratings in the United Kingdom's Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve after twelve years of service and good conduct. The medal was a Naval version of the Volunteer Long Service Medal and its successor, the Territorial Force Efficiency Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Central Africa Medal</span> Award

The Central Africa Medal was a British campaign medal awarded for service from 1891–1894 in Eastern and Central Africa, and from 1894–1898 for service in British Central Africa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army)</span> Award

The Indian Long Service and Good Conduct Medal (for Europeans of Indian Army) was a medal to recognize long and efficient service by Europeans in service of the East India Company's Army.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Capture of Ceylon Medal</span> East India Company medal for 1795 invasion of Ceylon

The Capture of Ceylon Medal is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to soldiers in Bengal artillery units of the armies of the East India Company (EIC) who took part in the capture of Ceylon in 1795–96.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Java Medal</span> Award

The Java Medal is a campaign medal awarded by the Governor-General of India to soldiers of the armies of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) who participated in the Invasion of Java in August and September 1811, during the Napoleonic Wars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nepal Medal</span> Award

The Nepal Medal was awarded by the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) to native Indian officers, and Indian soldiers for particularly distinguished conduct, during the Anglo-Nepalese War of 1814–16.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burma Medal</span> Award

The Burma Medal is a campaign medal awarded by the Governor-General of India to native Indian soldiers of the armies of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) who participated in the First Burma War from April 1824 to February 1826.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coorg Medal</span> East India medal for loyal Coorgs during 1837 Coorg rebellion

The Coorg Medal was awarded by the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) to local forces who remained loyal during the Coorg rebellion of 1837.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mysore Medal</span> Campaign medal awarded by the Governor-General of India to native Indian soldiers

The Mysore Medal is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to native Indian soldiers of the armies of the Honourable East India Company (HEIC) who participated in the Third Anglo-Mysore War of 1790 to 1792.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deccan Medal</span> East India Company medal for native troops, 1778–1784

The Deccan Medal was the first campaign medal instituted by the East India Company (EIC). It was awarded to native Indian troops who took part in the major campaigns in India between 1778 to 1784. It is sometimes referred to as the Carnatic Medal.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Medal for capture of Rodrigues, Isle of Bourbon and Isle of France</span> East India Company medal for capture of French Indian Ocean islands, 1809-10

The Medal for the capture of Rodrigues, Isle of Bourbon and Isle of France is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to native Indian soldiers of the East India Company (EIC), who took part in the capture of these three Indian Ocean islands from French forces between July 1809 and December 1810.

References

  1. Steward, William Augustus (1915). War Medals and Their History. London: Stanley Paul & Co. pp.  16-17. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  2. Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 1. A. Constable & Co. p.  162 . Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  3. Frontier and Overseas Expeditions from India: The Egyptian Expedition. Calcutta: Government of India. 1911. p. Vol. 6. Chapter 2.
  4. 1 2 Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 1. A. Constable & Co. pp.  145-51. Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  5. Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 1. A. Constable & Co. p.  124 . Retrieved 2 May 2019.
  6. Duckers, Peter, British Military Medals: A Guide for the Collector and Family Historian (2nd ed.), Chapter 2. (2013). Pen & Sword Books. ISBN   978-1-47383-099-8
  7. 1 2 3 Joslin, Litherland and Simpkin. British Battles and Medals. p. 32. Published Spink, London. 1988.
  8. Mayo, John Horsley, Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume II , (1897). Page 526. A. Constable & Co.
  9. Captain H. Taprell Dorling. Ribbons and Medals. p. 57. A.H.Baldwin & Sons, London. 1956.
  10. John Mussell (ed). Medal Yearbook 2015. p. 117. Token Publishing Ltd. Honiton, Devon.
  11. Collett, D.W, Medals Yearbook, (1981). Page 49. ISBN   0950694312