Egypt War Medal 1882-89

Awarded to Admiral Sir Frederick George Denham Bedford. 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'. Bar: 'THE NILE'. Inscription on edge: 'CAPTN F.G.D.BEDFORD R.N.' Suspended from a clasp and blue ribbon with two white stripes. Mounted on a bar with seven other medals.

This bar was awarded for participation in the Nile expedition, serving south of Aswan, on or before the 7th March 1885. On 5 August 1884, a Parliamentary vote forced the Government to commit to send a military expedition to Khartoum, to raise the siege trapping General Gordon and his troops. It was unsuccessful in this objective.

On 14 May 1884, Bedford wrote to his wife that he was tasked with ‘fitting up some steamers up for Nile work if they are required’. Based on the stretch of the river between Asyut and Aswan, Bedford was in command of six of these armed vessels. He was ordered on the 1st of August ‘attend to getting the steamers that are required for that service over the cataract.’ Bedford attempted to get ‘Gizeh’ over the first cataract above Aswan on the 9th August. On the 12th, with the river rising, the ‘Mahmondieh’ succeeded in passing the rapids. On the 14th August Bedford was relieved, and returned to Alexandria, where he put to sea in ‘Monarch’. As he had served south of Aswan, he was awarded ‘Nile’ bar for his participation in the preparations for this expedition.