The Sultan of Sudan's Medal

[Popsrekrap]

Here is a pocket history of My Grandfather, some fact some heresay.

PARKER George Timothy, Sergt., 1^st Royal Warwickshire Regt.

(b1885-d1957)

Taken from: The National Roll of The Great War, 1914-18: Manchester.

He was mobilised in August 1914, and immediately ordered to France, where he participated in the Retreat from Mons and was wounded. Invalided home, he was sent in June 1915 to Egypt, and was in action in the Suez Canal, and at Mersa, Matruh, Agagia, Sollum, Katia, El Fasher, Romani and Magdhaba, where he was wounded for the second time. Upon his recovery he was employed on garrison and other important duties at Alexandria and Cairo until February 1919. He was demobilised on his return home in the following month, holding the Mons Star, and the General Service and Victory Medals.

44 Parkfield Avenue, Rusholme, Manchester.

Information received 1^St December 2008.

from Soldiers of Oxfordshire Research Team

I have found in our records Regimental Number 7264 Sergeant George T Parker who, I believe, is your grandfather. He enlisted into the Regiment as a Regular on 10 June 1904, was serving in Letter A Company, 1st Battalion, in India in October 1905 and promoted to Lance Corporal in 1907. He returned to the UK and went into the Army Reserve in 1912 but rejoined the Colours at the start of Great War and was posted to the 3rd (Special) Reserve Battalion based in Portsmouth.

He did not serve with the Regiments 2nd Battalion in France, his name does not appear on the Regimental Medal Roll for the 1914 (Mons) Star, but was transferred as No 13962 L/Cpl into a Garrison Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment and subsequently attached to The Camel Corps in Egypt.

Starting at the end working backwards, did he serve with the ICC and are there records? Was he involved in actions mounted by the ICC, will there be a record of him being shot?

I hold his Sudan war medal, so he was obviously there, but why did he leave the Ox & Bucks to join the RWR and go to Egypt at possably a reduced rank?

Any help in answering any of the above will be much appreciated.

Robert Parker

[per ardua per mare per terram]

Welcome to the forum Robert

Have you seen this thread on the Camel Corps?

 

I have found 2 Medal Index Cards on the UK National Archives site:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...mp;mediaarray=*

What details are recorded on the Sudan Medal that you hold and which one is it?

[Popsrekrap]

per ardua per mare per terram said:

Welcome to the forum Robert

Have you seen this thread on the Camel Corps?

 

I have found 2 Medal Index Cards on the UK National Archives site:

http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/documen...mp;mediaarray=*

What details are recorded on the Sudan Medal that you hold and which one is it?

I have copies of both the medal cards and they are have x-ref on them so I believe them both to be his, one as L/cpl & the other Cpl.

The medal has his name, service number and RWR.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Can I say when they mention the Camel Corps we should be aware that there was more then one type.

The ICC or Imperial Camel Corps was the armed fighting units of the Camel Brigade that fought in Egypt and Palestine. (I have built up a nom roll of over 1600 British soldiers of this Corps but no mention of your relation). (all white officers and soldiers)

The was also the CTC (Camel Transport Corps) which carried supplies around the area of operations. (natives with white officers and SNCO's)

Then was also the two parts of the Egyptian Camel Corps, These being:

ECTC (Egyptian Camel transport Corps) which carried supplies around Egypt only. (natives with white officers and SNCO's)

The Camel Companies of the Egyptian Camel Corps (these were native Egyptian companies with some Britsh officers) they carried out garrison duty and some operations in southern Egypt and the Soudan.

Your relation either served with the ECC or the ECTC both of which had British officers and SNCO's in there units.

If your relation has the Sudan Medal then this adds more to the area.

The Offical History has a bit on this area and the fighting against the Sultan of Dulfar and the Senussi.

As to your mention of these battles areas "at Mersa, Matruh, Agagia, Sollum, Katia, El Fasher, Romani and Magdhaba: I would segest that its highly probible he was at none of them and was not wounded at Magdhaba. Can you confirm he was?

Cheers

S.B

[Popsrekrap]

Steve

Thank you for your very knowledable reply, I was hoping you may spot the request having read some of your ICC reply's.

In respect of him being shot, only family recolection's say that he was wounded twive during his militay carreer. I believe the extract from The National Roll of The Great war was written by him (I think, at the time it was like a questionare which you chose the best phrase to suit your service record with additional information) and could be totally unfounded. As to where he was when he was wounded, it could be bad grammer and his wound could have been at any of the places mentioned.

I am in posesssion of two medals which bare his name one being the Sultans' Sudan Medal the other is the Victory Medal. His Medal Roll card says he was also entitled to the British Medal.

I do not know anything of his excapade to Egypt only recently did I discover that the Camel Corps featured when I recieved the Information from the Soldiers of Oxfordshire Research Team.

If I can discover anything further about his military service during The Great War it can only add to the emotions that I already have about such events.

My father served & survived WW2 which included the liberation of Belson.

Again thanks for your help.

[Staffsyeoman]

Popsrekrap,

Please describe the Sultan's Sudan Medal... Is it Silver, circular, image of a lion on one side, Arabic on the other? Does it have a ribbon? If so, colours? Black Green and Red?

[Popsrekrap]

Staffsyeoman

Yes exactly as you describe, Red on each side of the ribbon, then a thin green and one thick centre Black.

Lion on one side, arabic on the reverse.

Any background information on its significance will be useful.

RP

[Staffsyeoman]

Very significant. It is, in fact, not the Sultan's but rather the "Khedive's Sudan Medal, 1910-1922".

From the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge:

"The recovery by Egypt of the Sudan, after its secession under Mahdist rebels in the 1880s, did not by any means mark the end of conflict in that province, which remained restless under an Egyptian control seen merely as a puppet for British imperialism. By 1908 a total of 15 bars had been awarded with the Khedive's Sudan Medal [Phil adds: 1896-1908], and it was therefore decided to institute an entire new medal, which was first issued in 1910. The medal was awarded in silver and in bronze, but bars were only awarded with the silver issue. The award was maintained by the next two Khedives; this example is an issue of Khedive Fuad I, who ruled from 1917 till 1936."

It is a very rare medal to the British. 15 known to the Royal Warwicks; one with a clasp (can't remember which of the 16 awarded it was) to a Cpl.; 14 without clasp to one Lt, one Sgt, two Cpls, and 10 men.

You have a very rare thing there - protect it! Value is potentially vulgar.. but I was offered one of the two Cpls. medals in 1990 for £300 - when that was a month's rent and I was not well off. It would be considerably more today.

[Popsrekrap]

Oh My God!!!!!!!

This is obviously one of the 15, I dont think it has a clasp, but when I inherited them, all his medals came on one mounting bar, my son-in-law re-placed the ribbons with new and framed them (I kept the old ribbons) what would constitute the clasp?

How do I find out more information?

Would the RWR know more?

Thank You.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

As the the Sudan Medal (1910)

The bar awards during WWI are;

Miri -April 1915 -

Mongalla 1915-16

Darfur 1916 - Operations against the Sultan of Darfur know recipents are;

Capt Bannatyne

Lt Slessor

Lt Maurice (all RASC)

Pte JE Clark RWR

Capt Bellamy RFC

Fasher 1916

Lau Nuer 1917

Nyima 1917-18

Atwot 1918

But StaffsYeo is correct its a nice medal and rare.

S.B

[Popsrekrap]

Thank you.

Any Ideas as to how I can research where he was and what he did during his time in Egypt?

Are there records of the operations he may have been involved in?

Why would he get this Medal?

I never new him but, I really didn't see him as a fighting soldier, more a 'I'll look after the Camels whilst you lot see what all the fuss is about'.

RP

[Staffsyeoman]

There is an outline account in "British Battles and Medals" (2007 Edition) of the campaigns in the Sudan that qualified. Have no concerns about the 'fighting' side; being there is the qualification. BTW a 'clasp' (which I prefer, others say 'bar' which lends to confusion) is an attachment to the medal's suspension, usually carrying on it the name of a campaign or individual action. The ribbon is what a medal hangs from. Your medal is very scarce to Brits, and I'm sure in the fullness of time if the family no longer wished to have it, there would be a welcome home for it in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment Museum in Warwick. This is a medal group which certainly would NOT end up forgotten in a cupboard - the only 1910 Sudan to a Sgt of the Regiment.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

As Phil mentioned there not a lot here.

Your best bet is to check out the histories of these operations. but I am inclined to believe he was part of this force;

Darfar 1916

An Anglo-Egyptian Force under LTCOl Kelly operated against the Sultan which was composed of some Mounted rifleman and four Camel Companies (ECC) , 8 companies of Infantry (Egyptian) and 8 guns.

Its possible he was part of this force either as an adviser to the Egyptian Army or had some other roll.

The only other large scale British - Egyptian operation was:

Nyima 1917-18

LtCol LK Smith commanded a force of three thousand Egyptian troops with some British officers against the Cheif of the Nubas between Nov 1917 and Feb 1918.

Sorry but its not much.

S.B

[bushfighter]

Robert

Interestingly I have just been researching a chap from the King's Own who served in the Sudan throughout the Great War.

If you can obtain a copy of "Medal Yearbook 2007" from Medal News then look at Medal No 165 which is The Khedive's Sudan Medal 1910.

You will see 16 different clasps listed, with suggested values for unnamed medals. It states" "The silver medal was issued with clasps to combatants, and without a clasp to non-combatants, while the bronze version was granted to camp followers."

For initial reading you can download these London Gazettes (LGs) from the LG website right away:

LG No 29800 dated 25 October 16

LG No 30102 dated 29 May 1917

LG No 31358 dated 27 May 1919

LG unnumbered Ninth Supplement (dated 05 June 1919) to LG dated 03 June 1919

Then there are three affordable books that contain descriptions of the 1916 Darfur Campaign:

Official History Of The Great War. Military Operations Egypt & Palestine to June 1917.

“Small Wars & Skirmishes 1902-1918” by Edwin Herbert. Foundry Books. 2003.

“Ali Dinar – Last Sultan of Darfur” by A.B. Theobald. Longmans. 1965.

Good Luck

Harry

[Popsrekrap]

Gentlemen

I thank you all for your input, I am now a little more knowledgeable than when I first started this quest.

The silver medal I have is named but without a clasp, so it looks like a non-combatant.

Another area of my search is for his early transfer from the O&BLI to the RWR, so I may start another thread.

RP

[Vanuatu Blue]

This may be a very old thread but thought it relevent to add the below, an old one from my collection but now long gone to another home.

Brian.

13579. Lance Corporal, Ernest Portlock.

1^st Garrison Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment.

Awards.

British War Medal, named, Pte. R. War Regt.

Victory Medal, named, Pte. R. War Regt.

Khedives Sudan Medal 1910, No Clasp, named, Pte. R.War Regt.

Ernest Portlock was born in 1887 at the Parish of St Lukes in the town of Gloster in the county of Gloucestershire.

Ernest married Lillian Ellen Wright (spinster) on 12^th November 1910 at the Register Office Gloster. Their address at the time was 54 The High Street Gloster. He had previously had a Son (Laslie) Ernest Leslie on 25^th June 1907.

He enlisted at Bristol and was attested Private on 29^th August 1914 for service with the Royal Warwick Regiment.

Ernest enlisted in the Army on Short Service for three years with the Colours, being 26 years and 7 months old. His trade at the time was Smiths Striker.

Complexion: Fair

Eyes: Grey

Hair: Brown

Religion: Church of England

Height: Five Feet & Four Inches

He was passed Fit for General Service at Horfield Barracks, Bristol on the 4^th September 1914.

Ranks.

Attested Private 8^th Batt 29^th August 1914.

Appointed Lance Corporal 10^th October 1914.

Posted 15^th February 1915.

Demoted Private 23^rd March 1915. for neglect of duty when in charge of billet .

Posted 3^rd Batt 15^th May 1915.

Transferred 11^th August 1915.1^st Garrison Battalion Royal Warwick Regiment.

Promoted Lance Corporal

Demobilised 17^th June 1919.

Service.

Home 29^th August 1914 to 9^th August 1915.

Egypt (Sudan) 20^th August 1915 to 19^th April 1916.

Sudan20^th April 1916 to 3^rd November 1916.

Sudan4^th November 1916 to 28^th December 1916.

Egyptian Expdy Force 29^th December 1916 to 17^th May 1919.

Home 18^th May 1919 to 17^th June 1919.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

I should add that I do have a number of ex Garrison Bn Warwickshire Regt on my ICC list.

All appear to be from the 5th Company 2Bn ICC which was formed from units of the 53rd Div;

Belgrave Charles Dalrymple 2/Lt CTC Ex 2/Lt 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt and RASC

Clark James E 51093 Pte 5Co Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt and Cheshire Regt (14111) to Suffolk Regt (70695)

Donnelly Arthur C. 51248 Pte ICC? Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (13672) and Hussars

Firth George 51083 Pte ICC Ex Warwick Regt (1384) and Hussars

Goldingay George 51092 Pte 5Co Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (14750) and Hussars

Lyford William J. 51249 Pte ICC? Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (14228) and Hussars

Painter Reginald Walter Richard 13578 Pte att 5Co 7-17 Newcombes Force Ex 1Bn Gloucester Regt (9814) WIA 4-11-14 F&B to 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (13578) to Cheshire Regt (62978) Pow 2-11-17

Sherwen Andrew 51321 Pte ICC? Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (13622) and Hussars

Thorogood Frederick John 13316 Pte att 5Co 7-17 Newcombes Force Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt to 1/4 Cheshire Regt (62979)

Walsh Charles 51322 Pte ICC? Ex Worcester Regt (10679) and 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (13799) and Hussars

Young Percy H. 51099 Pte ICC Ex 1 Gar Bn Royal Warwick Regt (13603) and Hussars

S.B

[Guest Eleanor2912]

I found your site while researching a distant relative and I believe his name should be added to your Sultan's medal list.

Percy John HOCKADAY (aka John Percy HOCKADAY)

Born abt 1884 in Dawlish, Devon; died 14 Aug 1917 Egypt.

He was difficult to follow but I have found the following:

UK National Archives Site:

Medal card of Hockaday, Percy J. Corps: Royal Engineers. Regiment No: 15361. Rank: Corporal 2^nd. The National Archives – War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies; Date: 1914-1920; Reference: WO 372/9/2/219772.

From UK Soldiers Died in the Great War: He enlisted in Exeter, Devon, & served with “K” Telegraph Coy, Royal Engineers.

On Ancestry.com there are two medal cards – membership required to view.

Medal Card #1

Medal card #1 for Hockaday, P.J. / Percy J. With note to “see also J.P. Hockaday”,

This card indicates:

Victory Medal, Roll: RE/101 B952; Page: 20308. [The B95220308 all run together so I don't know which is which.]

British [not clear] Medal: Ditto – Ditto [previous line]

15 Star: Roll: RE/2B; Page: 28

Under Action taken: Sultan's Sudan (1910) Medal on Page 2 of list . R.E. Sjt. Medal & Clp: “Darfur'16”

Theatre of War: (3) Egypt

Qualifying Date: 5.8.14 [5 Aug 1914?]

Was there a particular action on the above date? I did find reference to this date 5 Aug 1914 in a Wiki article “On 5 August 1914, British troops from the Ugandan Protectorate attacked German outposts near Lake Victoria....” but nothing further.

Medal Card #2 for Hockaday J.P., with note to see also P.J. Hockaday, Ancestry.com

Medal Card #2

The only item on this card is under Action taken: Sultan's Sudan (1910) Medal of Page 2 of list . R.E. Sjt. Medal & Clp: “Darfur'16”

Further searching on Ancestry.com found two grave/burial references and one memorial:

Grave #1

From the UK, Commonwealth War Graves:

Percy John Hockaday, died 31 Aug 1917, Buried in Mogadishu African War Cemetery, Reg. #15361, Region: East Africa.

After much research, I discovered that in the 1960s, the Mogadishu War Cemetery was closed and the remains were moved to the Khartoum War Cemetery.

Grave #2

From the International, Find A Grave Index for 2^nd Cpl Percy Hockaday:

Buried in Khartoum War Cemetery, Khartoum, AL Khartoum, Sudan.

Jerusalem Memorial

His name is listed in Part One A-L.

A second memorial was found at the Devon Heritage site:

Dawlish, Devon Memorial

It states:

P. HOCKADAY, 155361 [should be 15361] 2^nd Corporal Percy John Hockaday of “K” Telegraph Coy. the Royal Engineers. Born in Dawlish in the June Quarter of 1884. Died 31 Aug 1917 aged 33.

Was there an action on 31 Aug 1917? Was he wounded prior to this date? If anyone has any further information I would be most appreciative.

For interest sake, Percy John HOCKADAY's 3^rd Great Grandfather was my 5^th Great Grandfather.

===========

Eleanor

[Bramble]

On 05/10/2014 at 19:47, Eleanor2912 said:

I found your site while researching a distant relative and I believe his name should be added to your Sultan's medal list.

Percy John HOCKADAY (aka John Percy HOCKADAY)

Born abt 1884 in Dawlish, Devon; died 14 Aug 1917 Egypt.

He was difficult to follow but I have found the following:

UK National Archives Site:

Medal card of Hockaday, Percy J. Corps: Royal Engineers. Regiment No: 15361. Rank: Corporal 2^nd. The National Archives – War Office, Armed Forces, Judge Advocate General, and related bodies; Date: 1914-1920; Reference: WO 372/9/2/219772.

From UK Soldiers Died in the Great War: He enlisted in Exeter, Devon, & served with “K” Telegraph Coy, Royal Engineers.

On Ancestry.com there are two medal cards – membership required to view.

Medal Card #1

Medal card #1 for Hockaday, P.J. / Percy J. With note to “see also J.P. Hockaday”,

This card indicates:

Victory Medal, Roll: RE/101 B952; Page: 20308. [The B95220308 all run together so I don't know which is which.]

British [not clear] Medal: Ditto – Ditto [previous line]

15 Star: Roll: RE/2B; Page: 28

Under Action taken: Sultan's Sudan (1910) Medal on Page 2 of list . R.E. Sjt. Medal & Clp: “Darfur'16”

Theatre of War: (3) Egypt

Qualifying Date: 5.8.14 [5 Aug 1914?]

Was there a particular action on the above date? I did find reference to this date 5 Aug 1914 in a Wiki article “On 5 August 1914, British troops from the Ugandan Protectorate attacked German outposts near Lake Victoria....” but nothing further.

Medal Card #2 for Hockaday J.P., with note to see also P.J. Hockaday, Ancestry.com

Medal Card #2

The only item on this card is under Action taken: Sultan's Sudan (1910) Medal of Page 2 of list . R.E. Sjt. Medal & Clp: “Darfur'16”

Further searching on Ancestry.com found two grave/burial references and one memorial:

Grave #1

From the UK, Commonwealth War Graves:

Percy John Hockaday, died 31 Aug 1917, Buried in Mogadishu African War Cemetery, Reg. #15361, Region: East Africa.

After much research, I discovered that in the 1960s, the Mogadishu War Cemetery was closed and the remains were moved to the Khartoum War Cemetery.

Grave #2

From the International, Find A Grave Index for 2^nd Cpl Percy Hockaday:

Buried in Khartoum War Cemetery, Khartoum, AL Khartoum, Sudan.

Jerusalem Memorial

His name is listed in Part One A-L.

A second memorial was found at the Devon Heritage site:

Dawlish, Devon Memorial

It states:

P. HOCKADAY, 155361 [should be 15361] 2^nd Corporal Percy John Hockaday of “K” Telegraph Coy. the Royal Engineers. Born in Dawlish in the June Quarter of 1884. Died 31 Aug 1917 aged 33.

Was there an action on 31 Aug 1917? Was he wounded prior to this date? If anyone has any further information I would be most appreciative.

For interest sake, Percy John HOCKADAY's 3^rd Great Grandfather was my 5^th Great Grandfather.

===========

Eleanor

I have also been researching Percy John Hockaday for the Dawlish World War One Project  (  www.dawlishww1.org.uk  ) and found that he died from sunstroke. We will hold a service of remembrance for him on the centenary of his death (31 August 2017) and you can contact me via our website.

 

I have also been researching Percy John Hockaday for the Dawlish World War One Project  (  www.dawlishww1.org.uk  ) and found that he died from sunstroke. We will hold a service of remembrance for him on the centenary of his death (31 August 2017) and you can contact me via our website.

Robert Vickery.

[Popsrekrap]

List of RWR soldiers awarded the Sultans medal

[Solent]

On 21/12/2008 at 18:18, Staffsyeoman said:

Very significant. It is, in fact, not the Sultan's but rather the "Khedive's Sudan Medal, 1910-1922".

From the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge:

"The recovery by Egypt of the Sudan, after its secession under Mahdist rebels in the 1880s, did not by any means mark the end of conflict in that province, which remained restless under an Egyptian control seen merely as a puppet for British imperialism. By 1908 a total of 15 bars had been awarded with the Khedive's Sudan Medal [Phil adds: 1896-1908], and it was therefore decided to institute an entire new medal, which was first issued in 1910. The medal was awarded in silver and in bronze, but bars were only awarded with the silver issue. The award was maintained by the next two Khedives; this example is an issue of Khedive Fuad I, who ruled from 1917 till 1936."

It is a very rare medal to the British. 15 known to the Royal Warwicks; one with a clasp (can't remember which of the 16 awarded it was) to a Cpl.; 14 without clasp to one Lt, one Sgt, two Cpls, and 10 men.

You have a very rare thing there - protect it! Value is potentially vulgar.. but I was offered one of the two Cpls. medals in 1990 for £300 - when that was a month's rent and I was not well off. It would be considerably more today.

 

[Solent]

Hi Guys

I have read the detail that you have entered with absolute interest.

My Grandpa was in the 1st Garrison Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was posted to Egypt. I have researched as much as I can including medal cards which states Sultan of Sudan medal page eight. I am trying to identify what this medal Would look like could anyone help me please.

My grandpa details are 14185 Pte John Stevens if that helps.

[robins2]

9 hours ago, Solent said:

Hi Guys

I have read the detail that you have entered with absolute interest.

My Grandpa was in the 1st Garrison Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment and was posted to Egypt. I have researched as much as I can including medal cards which states Sultan of Sudan medal page eight. I am trying to identify what this medal Would look like could anyone help me please.

My grandpa details are 14185 Pte John Stevens if that helps.

 

[robins2]

Queens Sudan Medal  1910 also a photo in post # 16

 

regards  Bob R.

[Solent]

Hi Bob

that was fast many thanks. Would he of have a bar as well ?
 

Mike