Egypt War Medal 1882-89

Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria in a diadem and veil (left) Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX'. Reverse: the sphinx on an ornamental platform. Legend: 'EGYPT'. Exergue: '1882'. .Inscription on edge: 'R.G.BRICE.ORD.H.M.S.BRITON'. Suspended from a clasp and blue ribbon with two white stripes. Sewn to a piece of navy cloth with two others as worn.

Richard George Brice (1864-1933) was born in Homerton, Middlesex the son of James Brice, a labourer. He was one of six children and worked as a rope maker before joining the Royal Navy as a boy 2nd class on 20 February 1880. He was trained at Devonport on school ship ‘Impregnable’ before joining ‘Minotaur’, part of the Channel Squadron, on 13 September 1881. He was in ‘Valiant’ from 19 January 1882 and was rated Ordinary Seaman on 7 October 1882. Brice was in ‘Briton’ during the 1884 war in Sudan for which he received the Egypt War Medal and Khedive’s Star but with no bars for action on shore. He was promoted to Able Seaman on 1 November 1885. He remained in ’Briton’, stationed at Zanzibar until she was eventually paid off at Bombay and sold in 1887. Between 1888 to 1890, he was again in ‘Monarch’, still in the Channel Squadron. On 1 January 1890 he was promoted Leading Seaman. He spent the latter part of his career in home waters in ‘Rodney’ and ‘Hotspur’ before working as a boatman for the coastguard from May 1892. He was stationed on the coast of East Anglia and Kent. He was pensioned in 1911 with the rank of Chief Petty Officer, but returned to naval service from 2 August 1914 until 26 May 1916. He married Elizabeth Ann Crouch in Marylebone on 14 May 1890 and they had three children. One of his sons, Frederick, was killed during World War 1. After Elizabeth Ann died, Richard remarried Charlotte Jane Ballard, in Surbiton on 11 February 1903 and they had another daughter. In the 1921 census, Richard G Brice is resident in Paddington and working as a messenger for the Ministry of Health. He remained resident in Paddington until his death.