War Medals

340 PRIVATE JESSE HOBSON, NEW SOUTH WALES INFANTRY :

Egypt Campaign Medal 1882-89, undated reverse, bar, 'Suakin 1885', correctly engraved naming - 340 Pte. J. HOBSON, N.S.W. Infy (New South Wales Infantry); Khedive's Bronze Star, dated '1884-6', unnamed as issued, replacement ring to suspension : (JESSE HOBSON - Is confirmed on the Egypt Medal Roll and in the Australian War Memorial records of Pre First World War Conflicts Nominal Rolls as serving with 'B' Company of the Infantry Battalion of the New South Wales Contingent during the Suakin Expedition of 1885 : In the early 1880's the British backed Egyptian regime in the Sudan was threatened by an indigenous rebellion under the leadership of Muhammed Ahmed, known to his followers as the Mahdi. In 1883 the Egyptian government with British acquiescence sent an army south to crush the revolt. Instead of destroying the Mahdi's forces, the Egyptians were soundly defeated, leaving their government with the problem of extricating the survivors. The British government was persuaded to send General Charles Gordon to the Sudan to consider the means by which the Egyptian troops could be safely withdrawn. Disregarding his Government's instructions, Gordon sought instead to delay the evacuation and defeat the Mahdi but like the Egyptians before him he failed, and found himself besieged in Khartoum. A relief force was sent from Cairo in September 1884 but was still fighting its way up the Nile when Gordon was killed in late January of the following year. When in February the telegraph brought the news of the death of Gordon to New South Wales the government there cabled London with an offer to send troops to the Sudan and to make the proposal more attractive offered to meet the contingent's expenses. This was accepted but it was stipulated that the contingent would be under British command. This was seen as a historic occasion, marking the first time that troops in the pay of a self-governing Australian colony were to fight in an Imperial War. The contingent consisted of an Infantry Battalion of 24 Officers and 522 Other Ranks, an Artillery Battery of 212 men, a detachment of 22 men of the Ambulance Corps, 14 Bandsmen and 200 horses. It sailed from Sydney on 3 March 1885 aboard the ships 'Iberia' and 'Australasian' and arrived at the Red Sea port of Suakin on 29 March 1885, where it was attached to a Brigade consisting of the Grenadier, Coldstream and Scots Guards : The Brigade saw little action and eventually the British government decided that the campaign in Sudan was not worth the effort required and withdrew, leaving only a small garrison in Suakin : The New South Wales Contingent sailed for home on 17 May 1885 aboard the Transport ship 'Arab' arriving in Sydney on 19 June 1885 when it was subsequently disbanded.) : Sold with verification and related research : Medals purchased from the Great-Grandson of the recipient never before having been offered on the market. The Egypt medal shows the usual contact pitting and has suffered some loss to the naming at 3.00 o'clock and 9.00 o'clock, but even where this has occurred it remains legible and there is only one man named HOBSON on the entire Medal Roll. Mounted on short lengths of original silk ribbon : Excessively Rare, Fair to Fine - £3250