Khedive's Star For The Egypt War 1882

Awarded to Edward Matson Hewett RN. 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 a bar with two others.

Edward Matson Hewett (1864-1904) was born at Southsea, the son of distinguished naval officer- Vice-Admiral Sir William Nathan Wright Hewett VC. He joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Britannia’ cadet on 15 January 1878, and was made Midshipman on 18 June 1880 whilst serving in the Mediterranean in ‘Alexandra’. He was in ‘Eclipse’ on the East India Station at the start of the Anglo-Egyptian War and was mentioned in dispatches for his role in the occupation of Suez. While in ‘Euryalus’ from November 1884, he served on shore in the naval brigade at the battles of El Teb and Tamai and was mentioned in dispatches from Commander Ernest Rolfe dated March 16th 1884: ‘I wish especially to bring to your notice the conduct of Mr. Edward Tyndale Briscoe and Mr. Edward Matson Hewett, Midshipmen of the ‘Euryalus’, who at a critical moment, when three lieutenants were killed, took command of the subdivisions and acted with both coolness and gallantry’. As lieutenant in the ‘Turquoise’ Hewett served in the naval brigade under the command of Admiral the Honourable Sir Edward Freemantle during the punitive expedition against the Sultan of Witu in October 1890. He was presented with the thanks and a pair of binoculars from the German Anti-Slavery Committee in recognition of his services to the committee’s steamers when he was in command of the ‘Mosquito’ on the Zambesi river in 1892, He suffered at the end of his career from both physical and mental problems, and retired due to ill health in 1894, dying at Waterlooville ten years later.