Central Africa Medal

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Central Africa Medal
Clasps
Central Africa 1894–98
Established1 April 1895
Ribbon bar of the medal
First version of medal, issued without a clasp, with ring suspension

The Central Africa Medal was a British campaign medal awarded for service from 1891 to 1894 in Eastern and Central Africa, and from 1894 to 1898 for service in

British Central Africa
.

Criteria

Award of the Central Africa Medal was approved by Queen Victoria in Army Order No. 66, 1 April 1895. The initial award was for various military expeditions from July 1891 to June 1894, subsequently extended to the Unyoro Expedition in 1895.[1] It was later authorised for service in British Central Africa from 1895 to 1898. The main causes of these expeditions were to suppress slave-trading or to punish raids on neighbouring tribes.[2]

Most medals were awarded to members of the Indian Army and British-led local forces. No British Army units were present,[2] although some British officers and non commissioned officers seconded to local units received the medal, as did a small number of Royal Navy personnel.[3]

Appearance

The medal is 36 millimetres (1.4 in) in diameter. It was issued in silver to combatants, while native porters and authorised servants received the medal in bronze.[4]

The medal uses the same design as the Ashantee Medal and the East and West Africa Medal, although with a different ribbon.

The obverse depicts the left facing effigy of Queen Victoria wearing a diadem with a veil behind. On either side is the inscription VICTORIA on the left and REGINA on the right.[1] The designer was Leonard Charles Wyon.[3]

The reverse bears a scene, inspired by the

Edward John Poynter.[5]

The ribbon, 31.7 millimetres (1.25 in) wide, has three equal stripes of black, white and pale brown, also described as copper or

terra cotta,[1] worn with the black to the left when facing the wearer.[6] The colours symbolise the troops who took part – African, European and Indian.[4]

The recipient's name and unit were usually engraved or impressed on the rim of the medal, although some were issued unnamed.[2]

Suspension and clasp

The first version of the medal, authorised in 1895, has a swivel ring suspension and was issued without a

Lake Nyassa in what is now Malawi, and two in the Unyoro and Mruli districts in Uganda.[3]

A clasp, Central Africa 1894–98, was authorised in August 1899.

Lake Nyassa, and one in 1897 against Chief Mpezeni in present-day Zambia.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c Mayo, John Horsley (1897). Medals and Decorations of the British Army and Navy, Volume 2. A. Constable. pp. 398, 425–426.
  2. ^
    ISBN 0950694312
    .
  3. ^
    ISBN 978-0-907605-25-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  4. ^
    ISBN 9781908828163
    .
  5. ^ "Ashantee Medal 1873–74". Northeastmedals.co.uk. Retrieved 31 March 2013.
  6. ^ "Medals of the World United Kingdom: Ribbon Chart". Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  7. ISBN 9780718890094
    .
  8. ^ Steward, William Augustus (1915). War Medals and Their History. S. Paul. pp. 228–229.
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