Part 2

COMMONWEALTH MEDAL FOR DUTCH WARS 266

LORD UPPINGHAM'S ARMADA MEDAL 270

THE WYARD MEDAL 270

CHARLES II SILVER NAVAL MEDAL 272

QUEEN ANNE SILVER NAVAL MEDAL 276

WILLIAM III SILVER MEDAL FOR LA HOGUE 280

NAVAL GOLD MEDAL FOR THE "GLORIOUS FIRST OF JUNE" 280

REAR-ADMIRAL USSHER'S DECORATIONS 284

DAVISON'S MEDAL FOR THE NILE 288

BOULTON'S MEDAL FOR TRAFALGAR 290

NAVAL GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 292

SULTAN'S MEDAL FOR ACRE 292

BALTIC MEDAL 296

NAVAL MEDAL FOR BEST SHOT 296

AFRICA GENERAL SERVICE MEDAL 296

EARL OF ST. VINCENT'S MEDAL, 1800 304

WILLIAM IV NAVAL LONG SERVICE MEDAL 308

VICTORIAN NAVAL LONG SERVICE MEDAL 308

EDWARD VII NAVAL LONG SERVICE MEDAL 308

CROSS OF THE LÉGION D'HONNEUR 320

PRUSSIAN ORDER OF MERIT (2ND CLASS) 324

AUSTRIAN CROSS FOR 1813-14 324

HESSIAN MEDAL FOR 1814-15 324

THE IRON CROSS 332

AUSTRIAN ORDER OF THE IRON CROWN 332

PRUSSIAN MEDAL FOR DISTINCTION IN SERVICE 332

AUSTRIAN OFFICER'S GILT CROSS 332

SILVER CROSS FOR SAN SEBASTIAN, 1846 336

IRON CROSS FOR SAN SEBASTIAN, 1836 336

SILVER MEDAL FOR SAN SEBASTIAN, 1836 340

BADEN MEDAL FOR 1849 340

BADEN MEDAL "FOR FAITHFUL SERVICE" 340

FRENCH MEDAL FOR MEXICO, 1862-3 348

FRENCH MEDAL FOR TONKIN, 1883-5 348

PAPAL MEDAL FOR 1860 352

CROSS FOR KÖNIG GRÄTZ (SADOWA) 352

GENEVA CROSS FOR 1870-1 352

FRENCH MEDAL FOR 1870-1 356

GERMAN MEDAL FOR 1870-1 356

CHILIAN WAR MEDALS 356

RUSSIAN WAR DECORATIONS 364

GOLD MEDAL FOR MANILA BAY 368

MEDAL FOR SERBO-TURKISH WAR 372

MEDAL FOR SERBO-BULGARIAN WAR 372

SERBIAN MEDAL "FOR COURAGE" 376

SERBIAN MEDAL FOR SERVICE TO WOUNDED 376

GERMAN MEDAL FOR SOUTH-WEST AFRICA 380

GREEK MEDAL FOR GRECO-TURKISH WAR 380

SECOND MÉDAILLE MILITAIRE 384

ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT

H.E.I. Co. Honourable East India Company.

M.G.S. Military General Service.

N.G.S. Naval General Service.

I.G.S. India General Service.

V.C. Victoria Cross.

D.S.O. Distinguished Service Order.

D.C.M. Distinguished Conduct Medal.

D.S.C. Distinguished Service Cross.

D.S.M. Distinguished Service Medal.

C.G.M. Conspicuous Gallantry Medal.

G.S.M. General Service Medal.

WAR MEDALS AND THEIR HISTORY

Since the days when woad-clad Britons faced Cæsar's legions we have had a military system, but it was not, so far as we have any substantial evidence, until the days of Elizabeth that personal decorations were awarded for military service, or distinction on the seas or in the field.

In the Middle Ages, a warrior, knighted on the field of battle, was permitted to use a square instead of a swallow-tailed pennon, as a knight's banneret, and to use a war cry, from whence we may trace the origin of the mottoes used with Coats of Arms.

Later, after Sedgemoor (July 6th, 1685), recognition of the lower ranks is recorded in the bestowal of a gratuity of £40 to Sergeant Weems of the 1st Royals (now the Royal Scots) for serving the great guns in an emergency; but these types of award hardly provided that personal note or record which the war medal, as we know it, gives to the recipient.

It is fitting that the Navy, which had existed for centuries prior to the establishment of a standing Army, should take precedence in the bestowal of awards for active service; the rout of the Spanish Armada--in 1588--probably gave the incentive to Good Queen Bess to commemorate the auspicious occasion by the issue of medals in gold and silver, and we may reasonably assume that they were given for personal decoration to the leading officers engaged in the defeat of the Armada, or that the recipients thought that by wearing them they would show respect to the Queen, and thus established the custom of wearing medals, presented by the Sovereign for War Service. A specimen of these medals, with rings and chain for suspension, probably from the neck, is to be seen in the British Museum.

Just over fifty years later, Charles I established the principle for the Army, and thus strengthened the precedent, which was gradually extended, until now every boy and man who has acquitted himself creditably in a campaign, and the nurses also, may rightly claim the medallic recognition and record of their principal services by land or by sea.

=Elizabethan Naval Medals.=--A silver medal, with an attached half-ring loop for suspension, was apparently given by Queen Elizabeth for naval achievements; it is oval, and bears on the obverse a bust of the Queen, and on the reverse a bay tree on an island, with the legend impressed thereon NON · IPSA · PERICVLA · TANGVNT. This is a splendidly decorative medal. The "Ark-in-Flood medal," though hardly so well designed or so delicately cut, is characteristic. It is generally stated that it was given to the principal officers who fought against the Armada, or to commanders who had distinguished themselves at sea. The medal was struck in gold and silver and measured 2 in. by 1¾ in., and was suspended by a fancy loop. On the obverse of the medal is a bust of the Queen facing to the left, with the inscription ELIZABETH ◆ D ◆ G ◆ ANGLIE ◆ F ◆ ET ◆ H ◆ REG.

These, like another medal given by Elizabeth, we may reasonably suppose to have been struck to commemorate the defeat of the "Invincible Armada." James I issued a similar medal in gold and silver, with a ring for suspension. On the reverse is the Ark upon the waters, having above it, like Elizabeth's medal, the symbol indicative of Divine protection, surrounded by the motto STET · SALVUS · IN · VNDIS. There are two kinds of obverse to this medal, one with a portrait bust of the King in armour with a ruff, and the legend FIDEI DEFENSOR encircling the head. This apparently was for military officers, and the one bearing an obverse with the King's head surmounted by a broad-brimmed hat, for his courtiers. Nothing, however, can be stated with any certainty on this point. The motto on the obverse is JACOBUS · D · G · MAG · BRITA · FR · ET · HI · REX; and on the reverse an ark within an oval band containing the motto PER VNDUS SEVAS TRANQVILLA.

=Charles I establishes Military Medals.=--Having indicated the creation of the campaign or active-service medal for the Navy, we will leave the consideration of naval medals for the section which will be reserved for that purpose and deal with the listing of the military badges of the brave, commencing with those which were struck in the days of Charles I, who established medals for military prowess.

They were, according to the order of the Court, held at Oxford on the 18th day of May, 1643, "to be delivered to wear on the breast of every man who shall be certified under the hands of their commander-in-chief to have done us faithful service in the forlorn hope." These medals were only, it will be seen, given for very distinguished conduct in the field. One bore the Royal image on the obverse, and Prince Charles on the reverse; and the other the bust of Charles on the obverse, with the inscription CAROLUS · D · G · MAG · BRI · FR · ET · HIB · REX, and on the reverse the Royal Arms with the Garter bearing the motto HONI · SOIT · QUI · MAL · Y · PENSE. Both medals were silver and oval in shape, the sizes being respectively 1·7 in. by 1·3 in. and 1·5 in. by 1·2 in.

=First Distinguished-conduct Medal.=--The first record we have of the bestowal of a medal for conspicuous conduct in the field is in the award made to an Irish commander who distinguished himself at the Battle of Edge Hill--the first battle of the Civil War, fought on October 23rd, 1642--by the recovery of a Royal standard, and certain military accessories. The gallant soldier, who became Sir Robert Welch, was subsequently presented with an oval gold medal specially cut to the King's orders by the Royal "graver of seals and medals," Thomas Rawlins. The King's instructions, given on the 1st day of June 1643, were to the effect that the medal was to have on the obverse his own figure, and that of his son Prince Charles, and on the reverse a copy of the banner Welch saved at Edge Hill, together with the legend PER REGALE MANDATVM CAROLI REGIS HOC ASSIGNATVR ROBERTO WELCH MILITI. Encircling the busts of the King and his son was the inscription CAROLUS REX MAGNAE BRITANNIAE, FRANCAIE ET HIBERNIAE CAROLUS PRINCEPS. The medal, oval in form, was 1·7 in. by 1·5 in.

=The First Campaign Medal.=--The Dunbar medal--by the famous medallist, Thomas Simon, was struck in two sizes, in gold (1 in. by ·85 in.) and silver (1·35 in. by 1·15 in.), for presentation to officers and men who "did this excellent service," and, to use the quaint words of Oliver Cromwell, in "commemoration of that great mercie at Dunbar" where the Scots Royalists were defeated on September 3rd, 1650. Although these medals, which were worn suspended by a chain from the neck, cannot be regarded as campaign medals in the modern sense, they have the unique distinction of being the first of which there is a reliable record, indicating that the common soldiery and officers equally participated in the receipt of a military decoration for war service. This issue was exceptional, for throughout the existence of the Commonwealth, although medals were struck to commemorate naval victories over the Dutch, they were given to officers only, and during succeeding years this appears to have been the rule also until the beginning of the nineteenth century, when the custom was established to bestow upon all soldiers, from Field Marshal to drummer-boy, the same medal; that was after the battle of Waterloo, June 18th, 1815.

The Dunbar medal, as the illustration facing page 1 shows, bears on the obverse the bust of Cromwell in armour with the inscription in a semicircle above ~WORD AT DVNBAR~·THE LORD OF HOSTS ~SEPTEM Y3·1650~. On the reverse is quaintly depicted the House of Commons, which referred to the Committee of the Army the consideration of a grant of medals to officers and men who had served in Scotland, and to "set the proportions and the values of them, and their number, and present the estimate to the House." Bronze medals exist, but the reverses of these are plain, despite Cromwell's request that an Army should form the subject, which was only acceded to in so far as the legend is concerned, and a slight suggestion of a fight behind the bust of the Lord Protector.

The Cromwellians voted the sum of £100 to provide a gold medal, for distinguished service, and chain for presentation to Colonel Mackworth, who, as governor of Shrewsbury, had refused to surrender the castle to the Royalists. Of Blake's medal and the other decorations for maritime warfare I shall treat in the section devoted to naval medals, but I might here remark upon the fact that in those Puritan days the seaman appears to have been as much a "handyman" as in modern times, for, like the present-day marine and seaman, he fought _Per Mare et per Terram_; at any rate Generals Blake and Monk did, for they received naval medals or awards from the Commonwealth for their services against the Dutch.

Various medals were struck during the Civil War by the Royalists, and engravings are extant illustrating medals variously bearing on the obverse the portraits of King Charles I, Prince Rupert, or one or other of his leading supporters and generals, including the Earl of Essex and Sir Thomas Fairfax. The reverse bore either a representation of the Parliament or the arms of the person depicted on the obverse. The victory of Naseby (June 14th, 1645) is commemorated by a silver medal--gilt--with ring for suspension, upon the obverse of which is a portrait of Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the inscription THO: FAIRFAX MILES MILIT PARL DUX GEN, and on the reverse with a circle meruisti and POST HAEC MELIORA 1645.

During the reign of Charles II (when the foundation of a standing army was established) and James II, there is no record of military medals being struck, although during the reign of the former, as I shall presently describe, naval medals were issued to commemorate victories over the Dutch, and in the reign of the latter a large silver medal, apparently for presentation to naval men, was issued.

During the reign of William III and Mary, naval medals only were struck, and, as far as is known, only one such during the reign of Queen Anne, for there is no record of any being issued for the famous battles of Blenheim, Ramillies, and Oudenarde (where, as "Prince Elector of Hanover," George III distinguished himself), or the sanguinary battle of Malplaquet, although commemorative medals were struck.

The reign of George I is also barren of military campaign medals, while there were apparently only two issued during the reign of George II--one for the Battle of Culloden (April 16th, 1746), where the Duke of Cumberland well earned the sobriquet of "The Butcher," and the other for the taking of Louisbourg, in Canada (July 27th, 1758), where, after a seven weeks' siege, the French garrison surrendered to General Amherst.

=The Culloden Medals.=--The Culloden medal was struck to commemorate the crushing of the Jacobite rebellion at the battle of Culloden on April 16th, 1746, when the Scots under Prince Charles Edward and Lord George Murray were defeated by the Duke of Cumberland. The medal, oval in shape, and 1·75 in. by 1·45 in. in size, had on the obverse the head of "The Butcher," with CUMBERLAND above, surrounded by an ornate ribbed border and suspender; a nude figure of Apollo, with a wounded dragon at his feet, occupies the ground of the reverse, with the words ACTUM EST ILICET PERIIT, and in the exergue PRŒL · COLOD · AP · XVI · MDCCXLVI. The medal, by Richard Yeo, was struck in gold, silver, and bronze, and was suspended from a red ribbon with green edges. This is a very rare medal, and few specimens now exist, and it is assumed it was only given to regimental commanders, although as Mr. Grueber, of the British Museum, pointed out there is no evidence of an order that it should be granted.

In the British Museum there is a bronze medal commemorating this same battle; it is possible that it was intended to be worn as a war medal. The striking of the medal is with a scroll suspender at the top with a hole, which leaves no doubt that it was intended for suspension by means of a small ring. There is a small ornamental scroll at the bottom. It is plain on the reverse, the obverse being occupied by the equestrian effigy of the Duke of Cumberland, with the date 1746 in the exergue, and above the group GUL · AUG · DUX · CUM · TERROR · REB.

=Capture of Louisbourg.=--For the siege of Louisbourg, gold and silver medals were struck for presentation to those officers who had been conspicuous by their gallantry. In gold and silver the medal, 1·7 in. in diameter, bears on the reverse a representation of the bombardment, with LOVISBOVRG TAKEN MDCCLVII, and on the obverse a globe resting upon a figure symbolic of France (some say a fury) dropping fleur-de-lis, and pointing to boats at sea. On the globe, supported by a British Grenadier and a sailor, are the words CANADA and AMERICA, and above all the figure of Fame, with laurel wreath and trumpet flying in front of the Union Jack, and a scroll with the words PARITER IN BELLA; the ribbon for this is half brownish-yellow and light purple. This rare medal is, however, generally placed in the category of historic medals. It is by Thomas Pingo, who was responsible for a series of historical medals, including those commemorating the capture of Goree, December 29th, 1758, the capture of Guadaloupe, 1759, the battle of Minden, July 31st, 1759, and the capture of Quebec (where Wolfe lost his life), September 15th, 1759.

=Carib War.=--For the Carib War in 1773 the Legislative Assembly of the island of St. Vincent ordered that a medal of silver should be awarded to those who had taken part in suppressing the rebellion which had broken out among the natives. The medal bore upon the obverse the bust of George III in high relief, his hair being tied with ribbon, as was the fashion of the times, but represented as clad in armour. Above the bust is the legend GEORGIVS III MB REX. On the reverse Britannia, characteristically helmeted and resting her left hand upon the Union Shield, offers to a beaten Carib an olive branch in token of peace, while the vanquished is represented as having surrendered his arms, which lie at the feet of Britannia. In the exergue is the date MDCCLXXIII, and above the group PEACE AND PROSPERITY TO ST. VINCENTS. The medal, 2³⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, was cast and chased, and bears on the truncation of the King's head the name of the modeller--C. M. Moser. It was worn suspended from the neck by a red ribbon. Among the regular regiments taking part in the campaign were the 14th, 31st, and 70th.

=Isle of St. Vincent.=--Another medal was awarded for service in the island of St. Vincent. It was given to the militia officers and non-commissioned officers who commanded about five hundred natives--slaves--who helped in the campaign against the Caribs and French troops in 1795. On the obverse of this medal, which was cast and chased in silver and bronze, is a winged figure of Victory, with her right foot planted upon the body of a defeated Carib, who has dropped his musket at her feet. While in her left hand she bears a palm branch, she shows her determination by grasping a sword in the right. Above is the inscription ST. VINCENTS BLACK CORPS; on the reverse is a representation of a black soldier standing at attention with his musket, with fixed bayonet, resting on the ground, encircled by the legend BOLD LOCAL OBEDIENT. The whole of the lettering is in a square type of Roman capitals. This medal is 1⅞ in. diameter.

The next in order we have to consider are those issued by the Honourable East India Company to the officers and men who took part in the Deccan and Mysore Campaigns, between 1778 and 1792, against Hyder Ali and his son Tippoo Sahib, but these, despite the significant character of the wars, were not official or Sovereign awards, and were given to the Company's troops only. Previous to this, the Company had awarded a medal (in 1766) to native officers who had quelled a mutiny among European troops at Morighyr.

=The Deccan Medal.=--The medal for Guzerat--1778-84--and Carnatic--1780-84--commonly known as the "Deccan" medal, was issued to native troops only, and, as Dr. Payne states, is the earliest Anglo-Indian medal to be awarded to all ranks. On the obverse Britannia is represented resting upon a trophy of arms, and holding a wreath in the right hand, which she extends toward a fort over which the British flag is flying. On the reverse is an inscription in Persian, which explains that the medal is awarded by the Government of Calcutta to commemorate "the excellent services of the brave; year of the Hegira 1199, A.D. 1784." The medal, issued in two sizes, was intended to be worn suspended from the neck by a yellow cord run through a metal loop. It was issued in gold to Subadars,[1] silver gilt to Jemadars[2] and other native officers, and of an inferior character to those who did not hold warrant rank and the ordinary sepoy. A specimen of the smaller medal, in fine condition, has sold for between £7 10_s._ and £8 5_s._

[1] Infantry captain.

[2] Jemadar--of the same standing as a lieutenant in the Cavalry or Infantry, or the Sappers or Miners.

=Mysore Campaign.=--During 1791 and 1793 the native troops were engaged against Tippoo Sultaun in Mysore, during which campaign the city of Bangalore was captured in an exceedingly brilliant manner, thanks to the pluck and daring of British officers. On the 1st day of April 1793 it was decided by an Order in Council to give to the successful troops a medal as a reward for their services. As in the case of the forementioned medal, two grades and sizes were issued. The gold ones were all 1¹³⁄₂₀ in. in diameter, but a smaller silver one was issued 1½ in diameter, and while some of the medals have only two cannon-balls at the foot of the sepoy, five are found on others. This is probably due to different men cutting the replicas of the dies, which may have cracked in the striking. On the obverse of the medal a sepoy, standing with his left foot on a dismounted cannon, grasps the British colours in his right hand and the Mysore flag reversed in his left; the background shows the fort of Seringapatam in the distance. On the reverse is the wording, FOR SERVICES IN MYSORE A.D. 1791-1792, encircled by laurel branches, round which is arranged a Persian inscription to the effect that the medal is "a token of the bravery of the troops of the English Government in the war in Mysore in the year of the Hegira 1205-1206." Like the "Deccan" medal, this was intended for suspension from the neck by means of a yellow cord running through a loop. The Subadars were granted gold medals, the Jemadars and Serrangs silver medals--afterwards gilt--and the non-commissioned officers and men silver medals of less value. The order for striking these medals was given to Mr. Mair, a Calcutta silversmith.