Khedive's Star For The Egypt War 1882

Obverse: A five pointed star. Within a band, head of the Sphinx, three pyramids in the background. Legend: 'EGYPT'. Below: 'Khedive of Egypt' (in Arabic letters). Reverse: the monogram of the Khedive, a crown above. No date. Awarded by the Khedive to all those who received the Egypt Medal. Fitted with a ring and bar, with floral scroll and a crescent and star in relief upon it, and blue ribbon. Mounted on navy blue cloth with one other.

Thomas George Smith was born in 1861 in Greenwich, the son of George Smith, a shoemaker. He joined the Royal Navy on 3 July 1877 and on 12 May 1879 signed up for ten years’ service. Smith trained in ‘Boscawen’ at Portland, then from March 1879 to September 1880 in ‘Penelope’ and ‘Newcastle’. On 8 September 1880 he joined HMS ‘Carysfort’, being rated Able Seaman from 15 January 1882. Based in Malta, the ship was sent to Egypt, arriving in Alexandria on the 20 July 1882 after the town was bombarded by the British on the 11th. Her men then helped to take Ismailia on the Suez Canal. Smith was one of 28 men from ‘Carysfort’ who served in the naval brigade, part of the army commanded by Sir Garnet Wolseley which took Tel-el-Kebir, held by an Egyptian force led by the rebel Ahmed ‘Urabi. The British then proceeded to Cairo, and restored the Khedive to power. ‘Carysfort’ returned to her station in Malta until 1884 when she became involved in operations in the Sudan. An Egyptian force commanded by Valentine Baker was defeated by Mahdists in the first battle of El Teb. The second battle was a victory for a British force, again commanded by Wolseley. 38 men from ‘Carysfort’ received the clasp for this action. Thomas Smith also took part in operations from 19th February to 26 March 1884 around the Red Sea port of Suakin. He left the ship on 14 April 1884 and was invalided out of the Navy in 1885 with rheumatism.
He married Emily Pargeter on 20 May 1886 at St Alphage, Greenwich. They had one daughter Violet in 1897. In the 1901 and 1911 censuses, Thomas is recorded working as a swimming instructor for the Royal Hospital School, Greenwich. By 1921, he had retired and the couple had moved to Peckham. Thomas seems to have died in the early 1920’s.