IDENTIFIERS ----------- id: 141234 accession number: CM.1140-2009 DATE AUDIT ---------- created: Saturday 6 August 2011 updated: Monday 15 January 2024 DESCRIPTIVE DATA ---------------- object type: 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. title: Africa General Service Medal NOTES ----- type: history note value: Gift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Baldwin 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/141234 TECHNIQUES ---------- struck CATEGORIES ------ category: medal DATING ------ creation date: 1920 - 1920 creation date earliest: 1920 creation date latest: 1920 CREATORS -------- maker: London maker: George V (1910-36) maker: Saulles, George W. de maker: GEORGIUS V BRITT: OMN: REX ET IND IMP: DIMENSIONS ---------- dimension: Diameter units: mm value: 36.4 dimension: Weight units: g value: 38.3 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_0023_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 130 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 130 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 130 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_281_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 130 pixels surrogate: large format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: mid format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: original format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels surrogate: preview format: jpeg location: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/cm/cm15/LW_0023_282_29.jpg height: 365 pixels width: 129 pixels