15929705870001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141228170534539528817053296800001705345375149fitz-onlineadlib-object-141228https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/1412288aecdd8c-c5bd-377b-b33b-0b2e1e8884ef7referenceterm-42993adlib-term-4299393884c6f-c60c-39f7-a75d-f84d65288fe0medalreferenceterm-122711adlib-term-1227111db96904-a474-3b61-a8e5-6c2d9dd557abLester Watson CollectionCoins and MedalsNumerous actions in the British-controlled parts of Africa were felt to merit the award of a medal, but not a distinct one for every action. The Africa General Service Medal replaced the East and West Africa Medal which had previously been awarded for service in this theatre. Bars were awarded for a variety of small campaigns, sometimes only one expedition and sometimes rather more complex operations.
The repeated uprisings in what is now Somalia led by Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, whom the British called `the Mad Mullah', were perceived as threats not just by the British Empire, but Italy and the Ethiopian Empire also. Operations were begun against Sayyid Mohammed and his army of so-called Dervishes in 1901 by forces of all three states, with only scant success. A series of three campaigns between 1902 and 1904 were similarly inconclusive until the Dervish army were heavily defeated at the Battle of Jidballi in January 1904. After this Sayyid Mohammed's considerable power was temporarily confined to a smaller area, but he remained an irreducible and expanding opposition to British and Ethiopian rules until his death by influenza in 1921.
This medal was awarded to British troops who fought at Jidballi, which naturally also entitled them to the bar for the wider campaign. It was awarded to Private C. Summerbell of the 1st Hampshire Regiment. Lester Watson purchased it from the London dealers Spink on 12 November 1924.CM.1134-20091accession numberCM.1134-2009141228priref141228Watson Catalogue17orderingM-0017previous object numberLW.0017urihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141228https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141228Bust of Edward facing leftobverseEDWARDVS REX VII IMPERATORdesignBritannia with lion gesturing right to sun on horizonreversedesignreferenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam MuseumGiven by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009referenceagent-206432adlib-agent-206432e0b1da8e-f9e4-30be-9257-f82c89d45afbWatson, Lester200920092009givenon loan to the Fitzwilliam Museum 2005-2009190419041904mintreferenceagent-149658adlib-agent-1496584cb81521-c6ef-3826-8224-de2a104139c5Londonrulerreferenceagent-167399adlib-agent-1673995bcafb25-0bd3-36ad-9878-d98c9e13c293Edward VII (1901-10)artistreferenceagent-174946adlib-agent-17494697851273-f820-36e3-970a-41d6d59650dfSaulles, George W. dewith the title ofrulerreferenceagent-174947adlib-agent-174947253dc792-731d-3083-9b6d-3c175c4f1251Edwardvs VII rex imperatorreferenceterm-106216adlib-term-106216825b8379-ec94-388e-9a59-624e40c090d0Londonreferenceterm-39778adlib-term-397788bd60ed6-968d-3faf-8ad5-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.3Weightg40.85referencemedia-116007adlib-media-116007565a2987-493c-3554-8864-49b22a161cebjpegcm/cm15/LW_0017_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13616162550145131imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0017_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13616162550145131imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0017_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13616162550145131imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0017_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels13616162550145131image0media
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imagereferenceterm-122730adlib-term-1227301841d12b-92ed-3f00-b94a-ca916a0ebafdAfrica General Service Medaldenominationreferenceterm-98222adlib-term-98222b5ccc43a-7491-344e-b6ca-5df39a11c50emedalsseriesreferenceterm-108659adlib-term-108659cc732dec-4543-389e-a737-cf22bb7d2ee2Militarysubseriesreferenceterm-107681adlib-term-107681e80da827-45c6-3b71-a3ef-28794a05e4a8Britainsubsubseriesreferenceterm-122717adlib-term-122717140af9ad-d215-34d9-9d42-52ecb5d3feadBritish Armysubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Spink 12 Nov 1924referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum412-414, 417, 420referencepublication-5886adlib-publication-5886a6056c29-399c-38dd-9710-5b3f2d44b8a6British Battles and Medals 7th ednreferencepublication-5910adlib-publication-59100d1d8526-5493-32bd-93b4-acd4cdcec7f9British and other Campaign and Gallantry Medals From the Collection of Lester Watson (d. 1959)referenceterm-122730adlib-term-1227301841d12b-92ed-3f00-b94a-ca916a0ebafdAfrica General Service MedalAfrica General Service Medalreferenceterm-119622adlib-term-119622dd6626e9-5822-307d-aa31-13c8813e7555struckobject
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