East & West Africa Medal 1887-99

Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria in a diadem and veil (left). Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: a group of soldiers and Africans fighting in the bush for their fallen comrades. Suspended from a bar, and yellow ribbon with a broad black edge and two narrow black central stripes Bars: 'WITU AUGUST 1893'. Inscription on edge: 'H. GUNTON, P.O. 1CL., H.M.S. BLANCHE'.

Henry Gunton was born in St Helier, Jersey in 1860, the son of George Gunton, a baker. He joined the Royal Navy as a boy 2nd class on 16 April 1877, initially in the training ships ‘Impregnable’ and ’Britannia’. His served in ‘Northumberland’, part of the Channel Squadron, from 22 June 1879, rated Able Seaman from 1 June 1880. From July 1882 - February 1883, he was in ‘Belleisle’ – a coastguard ship at Kingstown, Ireland. He spent a short period from November 1883 to March 1884 in the paddle frigate ‘Valorous’ in British waters and from May 1884 to May 1885 in the troop ship ‘Jumna’ which was sailing between Portsmouth and Bombay. Between July 1885 and April 1889, he was in ‘Leander’ which served briefly in the Evolutionary squadron and then on the China Station. He was promoted to Leading Seaman in on 26 September 1890.
He was in ‘Blanche’ from 30 December 1890, which was deployed on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa Station. Following and outbreak of fever she was sent to the Indian Ocean where she was involved in anti-slave trade patrols. After the German Protectorate of Wituland, had been ceded to the British in 1890, there was resistance lead by Fumo Bakari ibn Ahmad, a local ruler and in 1893 by his brother Fumo Oman. A British naval expedition landed which included a naval brigade comprising men from ‘Blanche’, ‘Sparrow’ and ‘Swallow’.
During the same year, men from ‘Blanche’ were also involved in disturbances at Kismayu in Somalia but Gunton’s medal does not have the Juba River bar for this action. During this commission, Gunton was promoted to Petty Officer 1st Class. He was back on the East Indies station in 1896 in ‘Sphinx’ until November 1898. This was his last overseas service and he was pensioned from 1899. He was briefly recalled in 1914 at the start of World War I but was invalided with a bunion on his left foot. His date of death is unknown, but he is not in the 1921 census.
Gunton married Elizabeth Ann Grills on 14 April 1884 in Plymouth and the couple had six children, some of whom settled in New South Wales, Australia. After leaving the Navy, Henry was employed in a flour mill and a hotel.