Part 23

=Ashanti, 1900.=--After the rebellion of certain native tribes had been quelled, and the siege of Kumassi raised, King Edward VII approved of a medal--the first bearing his effigy--being issued to those who had taken part in the operations, and a bar inscribed KUMASSI also to those who had defended or relieved the city. On the obverse is the bemedalled bust of King Edward in Field-Marshal's uniform, which was used later on the South Africa medal 1901-2; on the reverse is modelled a lion looking toward the left of the medal, where the rising sun is depicted behind a hill. The lion is statant gardent in front of an African shield, whereon are two assegais, one being significantly broken; below is a plain panel with the word ASHANTI. The ribbon is alternately black and green--three black and two green stripes. The suspender is straight, and the names, etc., of recipients--mostly native soldiery--indented in small block letters on the edge of the medal, a few were issued engraved. The Flying Column was composed of 100 of the West African Regiment, 250 of the 2nd Central African Regiment, 350 West African Frontier Force, and 40 Sierra Leone Police with 2 guns. Some men of the 3rd W.I.R. also received the medal with bar for Kumassi.

CHINA, 1900

The Chinese society known as Boxers had been for some time engaged in agitating against foreigners, but did not become generally known to the English-speaking race until the murder of an Anglican missionary, the Rev. Sidney Brooks, on December 31st, 1899. They first, about a century ago, selected the title of I Ho Ch'uan, or Fist of Righteous Harmony; the society was, however, suppressed by Imperial edict, but, like most associations which have a strong religious or political basis, it was not exterminated, and as the political interference of certain missionary enthusiasts became more daring their activities again burst forth. They determined to destroy the foreigner and all his works, so that their countrymen might pursue their own ways, and work out their own salvation. All very laudable, in a way, but the patriots degenerated into bloodthirsty fanatics, and as the Chinese authorities were unable to deal with the rebels against Imperial authority--or indeed, as some say, appeared to make covert cause with them--it became necessary for the principal Powers to send troops to suppress the disturbances and protect the lives and property of their subjects. Great Britain, France, Germany, America, Japan, and Russia sent troops, which took part in the military and naval operations in the North of China and the Yangtse Valley from June 10th to December 31st, 1900. The most stirring events in the campaign were the defence of the Legations in Pekin from June 10th to August 14th, and the relief of Pekin between the same dates.

=Defence of Legations.=--On Sunday, June 10th, 1900, the Summer Legation at the Hills was burnt down, and from that time onward no one dared leave the city, while inside the Europeans lived in constant fear of the Chinese inhabitants, for within the very walls the German Minister actually took prisoner a fully dressed and armed Boxer. The Boxers and Imperial troops attacked the city again and again, until it became necessary for the Europeans and their servants to take refuge in the various Legations, and then on June 20th the siege began in earnest. Eighteen officers and 389 men, assisted by 100 volunteers, formed the combined force, and they had with them four guns of uncertain quality. It has been said by Dr. Morrison that the Japanese had only 100 rounds of ammunition per man, the Italians 120, the Russians 145, and the rest at most 300 rounds per man. On the first day the Austrians, for some unexplained reason, abandoned their Legation, and thus weakened the general defence by leaving a corner of the square open to the enemy. Then the Belgian Legation was burnt, and on the morning of June 22nd the Americans, Austrians, Germans, Italians, Russians, and Japanese began to retire on the British Legation, but the masterly activity of Sir Claude MacDonald induced the French and Austrians to return to the French Legation, and the others to resume their posts, thus preventing a catastrophe. The fear of fire was ever present with the besieged, for again and again buildings were ignited, and but for the well-organised fire committee would have helped the investing Boxers to make short work of the defence. Meanwhile the enemy vigorously attacked the Legations, and bombarded the city until a somewhat peaceable period ensued during an armistice which, however, hardly raised the hopes of the besieged, for news had reached them that the European powers believed them to have been massacred.

On August 10th the spirits of the defenders were greatly raised by the receipt of messages from the relief force, and the knowledge gained that the Japanese and American troops had defeated the enemy near Pei Ts'ang on the 5th, and had occupied Yang Ts'un next day, while the allied forces of America, Britain, and Russia were marching on from that place, and hoped to reach Pekin by the 13th or 14th. This news was conveyed in a letter from the Japanese Colonel Shiba, and it was indeed prophetic, for at 2 o'clock on August 14th the Sikhs marched on to the lawn of the British Legation, followed by General Gaselee and his staff, and then, the work of clearing the enemy out of the environs having been completed by the Sikhs, the relief of the Legations was effected.

=Medal for China, 1900.=--Queen Victoria had decided that those who had taken part in the campaign should be awarded a medal to commemorate their labours. Her decease, however, delayed the consummation of her desire, but in January 1902 the late King Edward gave the necessary instructions for the striking of the medal. It was decided to use the same reverse as on the China medal of 1842, and to revert to the dating of the exergue, so that 1900 appears thereon. On the obverse is the same bust of Queen Victoria as appears on the South African medal. Instead of the strange suspender issued with the second China medal, a straight clasp was used, and in place of the old fishtail bar the straight type was utilised. Three bars were issued with the medal: one with TAKU FORTS to those who were engaged in the Peiho River in the capture of the Forts on June 17th, 1900; one for the DEFENCE OF LEGATIONS to those who took part in the defence; and one for the RELIEF OF PEKIN to those who took part in the operations at or beyond Taku between June 10th and August 14th inclusive, which resulted in the relief of the city and Legations. The names of the recipients were mostly impressed upon the edge of the medal in light Roman capitals, and the same type of ribbon as supplied for the 1842 medals was used for suspension.

The following regiments were engaged: 2nd Batt. Royal Welsh Fusiliers; 12th Field Battery R.A.; 1st and 14th Sikhs; 3rd Madras N.I.; 4th Goorkas; 2nd, 7th, and 26th Bengal Infantry; 22nd and 30th Bombay N.I.; 24th Punjab Infantry; 1st Madras Pioneers; No. 2 Company Bombay Sappers; No. 3 Company Madras Sappers; No. 4 Company Bengal Sappers, and 1st Bengal Lancers. A Naval Brigade from thirty-six of H.M. ships also participated in the campaign, but most naval medals were awarded without bars, consequently those with bars are scarce, particularly those awarded to men of the Naval Brigade who had previously fought in the Boer War, scaled the Tugela Heights, and taken part in the Relief of Ladysmith.

THE BOER WAR

Little over a decade has passed since the South African, or Boer War, was brought to a close, so that it is hardly necessary for me to enter into details of the fighting, since so many will readily call to mind the events which led up to the ultimatum from the Boer Government in October 1899, and the necessity for Britain to place in the field the largest army ever sent out of England--about 200,000 men, which makes the army of 30,000 that fought under Viscount Wolseley in Egypt look very insignificant. During the first seven months of the war the battles of Talana Hill, Elandslaagte, Belmont, Modder River, Tugela Heights, Paardeberg and Driefontein, and many another battle had been fought and won; the sad disaster at Magersfontein had taken place, and the oft-wounded Wauchope killed. Ladysmith and Kimberley had been gallantly defended and relieved, and the siege of Wepener raised. Two hundred and eighteen British officers and 2,062 soldiers had been killed in action; 53 officers and 492 men had died of their wounds; 64 officers and 2,028 men had died of disease, and 664 officers and 9,225 men had been wounded. Indeed, a grand total of 24,253 officers and men had been killed or placed _hors de combat_. During the war Great Britain and her colonies lost in action 5,774 officers and men, and 16,168 by disease, while of those sent home 508 succumbed to their wounds or disease, 22,829 were wounded, and 5,879 were invalided out of the service.

=Cape Colony.=--There is a mistaken idea that the single bar for CAPE COLONY is not worth consideration as an engagement bar, but as a matter of fact many a brave fellow found a billet for a Boer bullet in the north of Cape Colony during the early days of the war, as the casualty records of certain regiments show. It is true, however, that many a man never got within miles of the enemy, and had to be content with the "donkey work" of looking after things for those at the front, while some whose bars include that for Cape Colony only landed for a day or two, and were then transported by sea to the fighting area. NATAL on a bar means, as every one knows, service in the zone where Buller did so much hard fighting--indeed, it was the Boer invasion of Natal on October 12th, 1899, that necessitated the defence of Ladysmith, and occupied the efforts of the Natal Field Force during 1900.

=The Queen's Medal.=--Twenty-six bars were issued in connection with the Queen's medal. Many think this constitutes a record, and it does for one campaign, but twenty-eight were issued with the Military General Service medal which was awarded in 1847; this, however, covered a series of campaigns. No less than 230 bars were issued with the Naval General Service medal also authorised in 1847, but these were obviously to cover a series of operations and campaigns. The bars for the Boer War are as follows, ranged in chronological order: CAPE COLONY, NATAL, RHODESIA, RELIEF OF MAFEKING, DEFENCE OF KIMBERLEY, TALANA, ELANDSLAAGTE, DEFENCE OF LADYSMITH, BELMONT, MODDER RIVER, TUGELA HEIGHTS, RELIEF OF KIMBERLEY, PAARDEBERG, ORANGE FREE STATE, RELIEF OF LADYSMITH, DRIEFONTEIN, WEPENER, DEFENCE OF MAFEKING, TRANSVAAL, JOHANNESBURG, LAING'S NEK, DIAMOND HILL, WITTEBERGEN, BELFAST, SOUTH AFRICA 1901, SOUTH AFRICA 1902. The latter two were issued to those who, although engaged during the period for which the King's Medal was awarded, were nevertheless not entitled to it by the terms of the grant. Talana, where General Penn Symonds was killed on October 20th, 1899, was the first general engagement, and Belfast, fought on August 26th and 27th, 1900, the last. The bars should read upwards from the medal in the order arranged above.

This medal by G. W. De Saulles is 1⅖ in. in diameter, and has on the obverse the bust of Her Majesty Queen Victoria (as shown in the illustration facing page 176). On the reverse is a spirited figure of Britannia, grasping the Union Jack in her left hand, while with her right she offers the laurel wreath to the army which marches past:

"A varied host, from kindred realms they come, Brethren in arms, but rivals in renown."

Behind her in the distance is a man-of-war in Table Bay, and in the foreground, lying to the left, her shield and trident; above is SOUTH AFRICA. It is noteworthy that the Army Order specifically mentions not only the Colonial and Indian forces, but nurses and nursing sisters. Bronze medals without bars were given to non-enlisted men of whatever nationality who drew military pay, and to authorised camp followers. The ribbon has a broad centre stripe of orange, with dark blue and red stripes at the sides. The names, etc., were mostly indented in skeleton block letters, some tall and some square, but many were engraved in slanting Roman capitals. The first medals awarded, including those issued to the Canadian contingent, had the date 1899-1900 printed on the field to the right of Britannia, but this, of course, quickly rubbed off when the medal was worn. Medals, however, in mint condition, are sometimes found with the date still clearly showing.

=The King's Medal.=--In October 1902 His Majesty King Edward VII authorised the issue of a medal bearing his effigy, with the legend EDWARDVS VII REX IMPERATOR, to all those who had served for eighteen months at the front, and were still serving on January 1st, 1902, or had completed such term before June 1st, 1902--that is, just one month after the terms of surrender were signed. The reverse of this medal is the same as the Queen's, but on the obverse is the bust of King Edward in Field-Marshal's uniform. Two bars were given; SOUTH AFRICA 1901 and SOUTH AFRICA 1902. The ribbon is composed of three equal stripes of green, white, and orange, and the names are mostly indented or engraved in the same manner as the Queen's medal.

=The Mediterranean Medal.=--A medal bearing the legend MEDITERRANEAN to the right of Britannia, but otherwise exactly the same as the Queen's South African medal, was awarded to those who garrisoned the Mediterranean forts during the South African War; no bars were issued with this. It is worn with the Queen's ribbon, and the names, etc., are generally indented. Those engaged in this work were mostly Militia units, who volunteered for service abroad during the war.

=Kimberley Star.=--The Mayor of Kimberley presented to all those who took part in its defence a silver six-pointed star, but it should be particularly noticed that only those bearing the hall-mark, including the date-mark =a=, are genuine. The ribbon is red, white, and blue in the centre, edged with black on one side and yellow on the other. The stars were issued unnamed, and generally depended from an ornamental suspender, but the one illustrated facing page 192 was issued as depicted.

The following troops were engaged during the campaign:

_Cavalry._--One squadron each of the 1st and 2nd Life Guards and Horse Guards; 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th Dragoon Guards; 1st Dragoons; Scots Greys; 3rd and 4th Hussars; 5th Lancers; 6th Dragoons; 7th and 8th Hussars; 9th Lancers; 10th and 11th Hussars; 12th Lancers; 13th, 14th, and 15th Hussars; 16th and 17th Lancers; 18th, 19th, and 20th Hussars; and the 21st Lancers.

_Infantry._--Grenadier, Scots, and Coldstream Guards, and the following Regiments of the Line: Bedfordshire, Berkshire, Border, Cheshire, Cornwall Light Infantry, Derbyshire, Devonshire, Dorsetshire, Durham Light Infantry, Essex, Royal Fusiliers, Gloucestershire, Hampshire, East Kent, West Kent, King's Royal Rifle Corps, Lancashire Fusiliers, East Lancashire, South Lancashire, Loyal North Lancastrian, Royal Lancashire, Liverpool, Leicestershire, Lincoln, Manchester, Middlesex, Norfolk, Northampton, Northumberland Fusiliers, Oxford Light Infantry, Rifle Brigade, Shropshire Light Infantry, Somersetshire Light Infantry, North and South Staffordshire, Suffolk, Sussex, East and West Surrey Regiments, Warwickshire, Wiltshire, Worcestershire, Yorkshire, Yorkshire Light Infantry, East also West Yorkshire, York and Lancaster, and West Riding Regiments, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, Royal Highlanders ("Black Watch"), Cameron, Seaforth and Gordon Highlanders, King's Own Scottish Rifles, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Scottish Rifles, Highland Light Infantry, Royal Irish Fusiliers, Royal Dublin Fusiliers, Inniskilling also Munster Fusiliers, Royal Irish, Royal Irish Rifles, Leinster, Connaught Rangers, South Wales Borderers, Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

_Volunteers._--Thirty-two Battalions of Imperial Yeomanry, City Volunteer Battalions, Companies, and Corps.

_Royal Garrison Artillery._--Eastern Division: 5th, 6th, and 10th Companies; Southern Division: 14th 15th, 16th, and 36th Companies; Western Division: 2nd, 6th, 10th, 14th, 15th, 17th, and 23rd Companies.

_Royal Horse Artillery._--A, G, J, M, O, P, Q, R, T, U, and V Batteries.

_Royal Field Artillery._--2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 9th, 13th, 14th, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st, 28th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 53rd, 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 64th, 65th, 66th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 73rd, 74th, 75th, 76th, 77th, 78th, 79th, 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 84th, 85th, 86th, 87th, and 88th Batteries.

Royal Engineers, Army Service and Army Ordnance Corps, Army Veterinary and Army Pay Departments, and R.A. Medical Corps.

_Irregular Corps._--Imperial Light Horse, South African Light Horse, Cape Mounted Rifles, Kitchener's Fighting Scouts, Thorneycroft's Horse, Brabant's Horse, Bethune's Horse, British South African Police, South African Constabulary, National Scouts (Boers), Scottish Horse, Lumsden's Horse and Strathcona's Horse, New South Wales Military Forces, Imperial Bushmen, New Zealand Mounted Rifles and Rough Riders, Queensland Mounted Infantry, South Australian Mounted Infantry and Bushmen's Contingent, Tasmanian Infantry, Artillery, and Bushmen, Victorian Infantry, Victorian Mounted Infantry, Cameron's Scouts, West Australian Contingent, Royal Canadian Dragoons and Batteries of Field Artillery, Canadian Mounted Rifles, Canadian Scouts, Ceylon Mounted Infantry, Bechuanaland Rifles, Border Horse, and Mounted Rifles, also Scouts, Brabant's Scouts, British South Africa Police, Cape Cavalry Brigade, Cape Colony Cyclist Corps, Cape Garrison Artillery, Cape Medical Staff Corps, Cape Mounted Rifle Club, Cape Police, 1st City (Grahamstown) Volunteers, Colonial Defence Force, Commander-in-Chief's Bodyguard, Dennison's Scouts, Diamond Field Artillery, Diamond Field Horse, District Mounted Rifles, Driscoll's Scouts, Duke of Edinburgh's Own Volunteer Rifles, Durban Light Infantry, East Griqualand Mounted Rifle Volunteers, Eastern Province Horse, French's Scouts, Frontier Mounted Rifles, Gatacre's Scouts, Griqualand East Mounted Rifle Volunteers, Herbert District Mounted Rifles, Herschell Mounted Volunteers, Imperial Light Horse and Light Infantry, Johannesburg Mounted Rifles, Kaffrarian Rifles, Kenny's Scouts, Kimberley Regiment, Kimberley Mounted Corps and Light Horse, Kimberley Rifles, Kitchener's Horse, Kuysna Rangers, Komgha Mounted Volunteers, Loch's Horse, Lovat's Scouts, Maritzani Mounted Irregulars, Marshal's Horse, Merre's Scouts, Military Foot Police, Modder River District Mounted Rifles, Namaqualand Border Scouts, Natal Volunteers, Natal Mounted Infantry, Nesbitt's Horse, New England Mounted Rifles, Orpen's Horse, Pioneer Railway Regiment, Prince Alfred's Own Cape Artillery, Prince Alfred's Volunteer Guard, Prince of Wales's Light Horse, Queenstown Rifle Volunteers, Rand Rifles, Rimington's Guides, Roberts's Light Horse, Rundle's Colonial Scouts, Rhodesian Regiment, Scottish Horse, South African Constabulary, South Rhodesian Volunteers, Steinaeker's Horse, Stellenbosch Mounted Infantry, Tembuland Mounted Rifle Corps, Transkei Mounted Rifles, Uitenhage Volunteer Rifles, and the Umvoti, Utrecht, Victoria, and Vryburg Mounted Rifles, Warwick's Scouts, Western Light Horse, and Western Province Mounted Rifles.

_Town Guards._--The Aliwal North, Barkly East, Barkly West, Boshof, Burgherdorn, Campbell Town, Colesburg, Cradock, Dordrecht District, Douglas, East London, Grahamstown, Griquatown, Hopetown, Hoppesia, Indwe, Jamestown, Kimberley, King Williamstown, Klipdam, Kokstad, Kuruman, Lady Grey, Molteno, Naauwpoort, Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Qumbu, Starkstroom, Steynsburg, Stormburg, T'somo, Uitenhage, Vryburg, and Warrenton.

=Africa General Service Medal.=--In June 1902 it was decided to strike a medal to take the place of the two which had hitherto been awarded for service in Central, also East and West, Africa. It was to be known as the Africa General Service Medal. The obverse is the same as the King's South Africa medal, but on the reverse is the figure of Britannia, with a lion beside her, as on the East and West African medal illustrated facing page 296, but with AFRICA in the exergue. The ribbon is yellow, with two narrow green stripes touching the broad black edging. Bronze medals were issued to camp followers. Numerous bars have been issued with this medal: NIGERIA for operations carried on in the early-part of 1900, and in December of the same year, also in August and September 1901; S. NIGERIA for operations in March, April, and May, 1901, and for JUBALAND to those who were in the small force sent against the truculent Ogaden Somalis between November 1900 and the end of April 1901. Only 465 silver and 26 bronze medals were issued, and these mostly to the 16th Bombay Cavalry. The other recipients of the medal and bar were sailors and marines from three of H.M. ships. The bar for SOMALILAND 1901 was issued to those who were engaged there during May, June, and July 1901, and a bar for UGANDA 1900 to those who were engaged in the Uandi country during the period between July and October 1900. Only 5 officers and 1 British non-commissioned officer received the bar, and only 373 other bars were issued--268 to the 4th King's African Rifles, and 105 to Indian soldiers. To the 24th Punjab Infantry, which was engaged in different districts between August 1899 and December 1900, a bar inscribed B. C. A. 1899-1900--meaning British Central Africa 1899-1900--was awarded. The bar for GAMBIA was granted to a detachment of the 2nd King's African Rifles, four companies of the 3rd W.I.R., and the crews of three of H.M. ships who were engaged in the operations between January and March 1901. The bar for ARO 1901-1902 was issued to those who were engaged against the Aro tribe between November 1901 and March 1902. Fourteen British officers and the crew of H.M. "Thrush," with 1,830 native soldiers, composed the Aro Field Force. The bar for LANGO 1901 was awarded to those members of the 4th King's African Rifles who were engaged against the Sudanese mutineers and the Langos between April and August 1901. To those engaged in the Bornu expedition, from February to May 1902, and in the Kontagora expedition in February 1902, the bar for N. NIGERIA 1902 was issued (the same bar was given to those who were serving at Argungu and on convoy duty), and to those who were engaged in Nigeria between July 1902 and June 1903. In April 1905 a bar was issued inscribed N. NIGERIA 1903 to those who had taken part in the Kano-Sokoto campaign. To this medal it was decided to add the bar SOMALILAND 1902-04, and one for JIDBALLI to those engaged in the operations between January 1902 and May 1904.

The only fairly complete regiment engaged in the campaign was the 1st Hampshire, and this, together with detachments of the Norfolks, Yorkshires, and Rifle Brigade, and units of the Royal Engineers and Army Service Corps, formed the only English Corps engaged. The rest of the expedition included the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th King's African Rifles; Bikanir Camel Corps; Kajawa Corps; Gudabursi Horse; Rajputs; Sikhs; Punjabees and Indian Mounted Infantry; also the crews of fourteen H.M. ships.