South Africa Medal : Private A R Brean, 17th Lancers Accession Number: RELAWM14679

Description

South Africa Medal with the bar '1879'. The recipient's number, rank, name and regiment are engraved around the edge. Obverse: The diademed head of Queen Victoria with the legend 'VICTORIA REGINA' around the circumference. Reverse: A lion representing Africa depicted crouching in a token of submission in front of a Protea bush. Above are the words 'SOUTH AFRICA' and in the exergue, a Zulu shield and four crossed assegais. The medal is fitted with an ornamental scroll swiveling suspender and a single fish tailed rectangular date bar that has rosettes on the lower corners. A piece of 32 mm watered orange-yellow ribbon with two wide and two narrow dark blue stripes is attached to the suspender.

Contextual Description

Awarded to Private A R Brean of the British 17th Lancers (Duke of Cambridge's Own) who served in Zululand and at the capture of Ulundi in 1879. Although popularly associated with the Zulu wars only the medal was also issued with six other dated bars for '1877-8', '1877-8-9', '1878', '1878-9', '1877', and '1877-9' to cover the actions against the Galeka, Gaika, Tambookies, Zulu and other Kaffir tribes. This medal is part of a collection assembled by the late Hon. Sir Thomas Hughes, Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. It was presented to the Memorial in memory of his son, Captain Roger Forrest Hughes, Australian Army Medical Corps, who died of wounds in France on 11 December 1916, and of his grandson, Flying Officer Peter Roger Forrest Hughes, 12 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, who was killed on active service while flying in the Northern Territory on 3 October 1942.