IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141222 accession number: CM.1128-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: British forces were committed to Afghanistan for the third time in 1878 after a treaty between the Amir Shere Ali and Britain made in 1873 had been discarded by the Amir in favour of a new one with Russia, and diplomatic missions from Britain refused. After two major actions peace (and a subsidy for the Amir) was agreed in May 1878. The battle of Peiwar Kotal, for which Lance Corporal W. Fitzgerald was awarded one of the bars to this medal, was one of the two actions which led to Shere Ali fleeing Kabul before the British. After the initial British success, a British resident was installed in Kabul in 1879, the Amir being sworn (and paid a considerable subsidy) to behave friendlily towards him. This proved no protection against the Resident's murder along with other British residents in September 1879, whereupon war was rejoined. Forces were immediately sent to Kabul, and on the way defeated an Afghan force at Charasia, at which Lance Corporal Fitzgerald was also present as his bar for the action testifies. The third bar to his medal indicates that he was also involved in the fierce fighting involved in the following recapture of Kabul. Lance Corporal Fitzgerald earned this medal in service with the 72nd Highlanders. Lester Watson purchased it at some point before 1928. title: Afghanistan Medal NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt before 1928 LICENSING --------- text license status: CC0 image license status: CC-BY-NC-SA OWNERSHIP --------- instutition: The Fitzwilliam Museum department: Coins and Medals collection: Lester Watson Collection creditline: Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009 STABLE URL ---------- url: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141222 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1881 - 1882 creation date earliest: 1881 creation date latest: 1882 CREATORS -------- maker: London maker: Boehm, Joseph Edward, Sir maker: Caldecott, Randolph maker: Victoria (1837-1901) maker: Victoria regina et imperatrix DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 36.2 dimension: Weight units: g value: 47.78 CITATIONS -------- British Battles and Medals 7th edn British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959) --- IMAGES surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 127 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 127 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 127 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0011_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 127 pixels