Egypt Medal 1882-1889

Instituted:October 1882.

Qualification:Originally awarded to all those who took part in the 1882 Egypt campaign, qualification was later extended to include later Egyptian campaigns up until 1889.

Description:
Silver, 36mm diameter with swivelling suspender. The obverse portrays the veiled head of Queen Victoria and the legend VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX. The reverse depicts the sphinx atop a pedestal and with the word EGYPT above.

Medals awarded for the 1882 campaign have the year 1882 appearing beneath the pedestal. Medals for the later campaigns are undated.

Ribbon:Three blue stripes left, centre and right,with two white stripes in between these.

Naming:
A variety of different styles although generally engraved in distinctive sloping serif capitals. There are examples of undated medals to the Navy and Marines impressed in large serif capitals, and to Indian units in engraved running script or impressed small serif capitals. Medals issued to local Egyptian forces are engraved in Arabic.

Clasps:Thirteen clasps were issued and these are listed below. The first two - Alexandria and Tel-El-Kabir - were issued for the 1882 campaign only. The dated and undated medal could also be issued without clasps and men who had been issued with the 1882 medal and clasp/s and who subsequently served in a later Egyptian campaign, had to return their medal to have a complete new set of clasps. Thus genuine multi-clasp medals with the Alexandria or Tel-El-Kabir clasp all have uniform rivets.

1. Alexandria 11th July
Awarded for the action of 11th July 1882 and found on dated medals.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1882 Khedive's Star.

2. Tel-El-Kabir
Awarded for the action of 13th September 1882 and found on dated medals.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1882 Khedive's Star.

3. Suakin 1884Awarded for action between 19th February and 26th March 1884.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884 Khedive's Star.

4. El-Teb
Awarded for the action of 29th February 1884.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884 Khedive's Star.

5. Tamaai
Awarded for the action of 13th March 1884.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884 Khedive's Star.

Regiments present: one squadron each from the 10th Hussars and 19th Hussars; M/1 Battery and 6/1st Scottish Divisional Royal Artillery, 26th Company Royal Engineers, 3/60th, 65th, 70th, 75th and 89th Regiments of Foot; also Native Camel Transport.  HM Navy was represnted by officers, seamen and marines from the following ships: Briton, Carysfort, Dryad, Euralysus, Hecla, Humber, Inconstant, Inflexible, Northumberland, Sphinx, Thalia and Tyne.

6. El-Teb-Tamaai
Awarded for the actions of 29th February 1884 & 13th March 1884.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884 Khedive's Star.

7. The Nile 1884-1885
Awarded for service with the Khartoum relief expedition prior to 7th March 1885.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884-1886 Khedive's Star.

8. Abu Klea
Awarded for the action of 17th January 1885.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884-1886 Khedive's Star.

9. Kirbekan
Awarded for the action of 10th February 1885.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884-1886 Khedive's Star.

10. Suakin 1885
Awarded for actions between 1st March and 14th May 1885.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884-1886 Khedive's Star.

11. Tofrek
Awarded for the action of 22nd March 1885.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the 1884-1886 Khedive's Star.

12. Gemaizah 1888
Granted to all troops who were landed at Suakin before the action at Gemaizah on 20th December 1888.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the undated Khedive's Star.

Regiments present: 20th Hussars (147), 24 Company Royal Engineers (17), 2/25th Foot, 41st Foot, 86th Foot; also Egyptian Native Troops.  There were also Naval detachments from HMS Starling, HMS Racer and the Khedive's Noor-l-Bahr.

13. Toski 1889
Awarded for the action of 3rd August 1889.
Recipients of this clasp would also have been entitled to the undated Khedive's Star.

Note: The Abu Klea and Kirbejan clasps are always paired with The Nile 1884-1885 clasp. The Tofrek clasp is always paired with the Suakin 1885 clasp.