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Mint:
London
Ruler:
George V (1910-36)
Artist:
Saulles, George W. de
Ruler:
GEORGIUS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND IMP:
(With the title of)
Numerous 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 continuing efforts by the British to wrest control of the territories that make up modern Somalia from the so-called `Mad Mullah', Sayyid Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, culminated in a fifth campaign against him in 1920, in response to several years of expansion of settlement by his Dervish forces. For the first time in Africa the forces used included not just troops and ships, but also aircraft, including floatplanes flown from the seaplane carrier HMS Ark Royal. This concentration of force drove Sayyid Mohammed and his forces back into his homeland territories, where however he continued to spurn British offers of peace, despite increasing slaughter of his forces, until his death from influenza the next year.
This medal was awarded to Aircraftman Second Class W. J. Powlesland, a member of the single flight of the Royal Air Force which were involved in this campaign. Lester Watson purchased it from the London dealer Baldwin in 1928.
History note: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 1928
Given by Lester Watson through Cambridge in America, 2009
Diameter: 36.4 mm
Weight: 38.3 g
Method of acquisition: Given (2009) by Watson, Lester
Production date: AD 1920
Inscription present: Bust of Edward facing left
Inscription present: Britannia with lion gesturing right to sun on horizon
Accession number: CM.1140-2009
Primary reference Number: 141234
Watson Catalogue: 24
Ordering: M-0023
Previous object number: LW.0023
Stable URI
Owner or interested party:
The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department:
Coins and Medals
This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:
The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024) "Africa General Service Medal" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141234 Accessed: 2024-11-04 20:57:38
To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:
{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141234
|title=Africa General Service Medal
|author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2024-11-04 20:57:38|publisher=The
University of Cambridge}}
To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:
https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-141234
To use this as a simple code embed, copy this string:
<div class="text-center">
<figure class="figure">
<img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_281_29.jpg"
alt="Africa General Service Medal"
class="img-fluid" />
<figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Africa General Service Medal</figcaption>
</figure>
</div>
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