15929705970001312637261000Standard Recordobject-141582168668055809816428817940001686679273393fitz-onlineadlib-object-141582https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141582ac59608f-5d6a-340a-a433-2f4b01f49b5f6referenceterm-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 campaign of 1902-1904 was more effective and drove Sayyid Mohammed and his followers into Majeerteen territory in what is now the north-east of Somalia and the north-west of Ethiopia. Here they were able to hold out, although renewed campaigning by the British in 1908-1910 caused a substantial portion of the Mullah's followers to desert him. He would nonetheless remain a thorn in the British and Ethiopian sides which could not be entirely removed until his death of influenza in 1921.
This medal was awarded to Able Bodied Seaman P. Redmond, who served aboard the 3rd-class cruiser HMS Proserpine in the 1908-1910 campaign. It is one of two medals that were awarded to him that are now in the Watson Collection; the other follows. The medals are not attached to each other so although the Watson Collection catalogue considers them as Group 4 they have been treated separately here. Nonetheless, it was as a group that Lester Watson purchased them from the London dealer Spink, in 1926.CM.1486-20091accession numberCM.1486-2009141582priref141582Watson Catalogue23orderingM-0371previous object numberLW.0362aurihttps://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141582https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/141582Bust of Edward facing leftobverseEDWARDVS VII REX 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 2005-2009190219021902190219151191519151915mintreferenceagent-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-b4e4ee9bb245silverDiametermm36.4Weightg38.87referencemedia-116715adlib-media-11671513e3b44f-d3fb-363a-92f2-d49cc98c1d2fjpegcm/cm15/LW_0362a_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162420305721imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0362a_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162420305721imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0362a_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162420305721imagejpegcm/cm15/LW_0362a_281_29.jpg1heightpixels365widthpixels14316162420305721image0media
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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-122712adlib-term-122712639b4532-b2cf-3f44-a24b-84974795c1a6Royal Navysubsubsubserieshistory noteGift of L. Hoyt Watson; ex Lester Watson Collection, bt Spink 1926referenceagent-149638adlib-agent-1496387376d833-d0a7-3be0-916e-9c892b7a24d8The Fitzwilliam Museum412-414, 423-424referencepublication-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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