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East & West Africa Medal 1887-99
East & West Africa Medal 1887-1899. 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. Bar: 'LAKE NYASSA 1893'. Inscription on edge: 'C. M. PRISCOTT, S.S.A., H.M.S. ADVENTURE'. Yellow ribbon with a broad black edge and two narrow black central stripes.
Charles Murray Priscott (1872-1954) was born in Portsea, Hampshire, the son of William Thomas Priscott, a Royal Marine and later a warder at the Forton Military Prison in Gosport. Charles joined the Royal Navy in 1893 rated ship’s steward’s boy, after education at Greenwich Hospital School. After training, he was stationed in the Mediterranean in ‘Colossus’ and ‘Edinburgh’ from 1887 to 1890. During the latter year, now a ship’s steward’s assistant, he signed on for twelve years’ service. He was then based in the United Kingdom until July 1893 when he joined HMS ‘Raleigh’ on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa station. The year from August 1893 was spent in the river gunboat ‘Adventure’. This small vessel with her sister vessel ‘Pioneer’, was hauled overland in sections and reassembled on Lake Nyassa; forming part of an expedition intended to end the slave raiding activities of local Chief Makenjire. The force also included over a hundred Sikh soldiers. Makenjire initially escaped but was captured the following year.
Priscott then went back to ‘Colossus’ until 1896. She was now a coastguard vessel at Holyhead, joining the Reserve Fleet in 1895. He then served in torpedo gunboat HMS Hussar’, deployed to the Mediterranean from 1896 to 1899 where she evacuated the last Ottoman forces from Crete. On 27 January 1897, he was promoted to Ship’s Steward. In 1902 he was at the RN shore base in Burmuda. He then served in home waters and on shore bases until he was pensioned in 1912 only to be called up again in 1914. He served on HMS ‘Europa’ at the start of World War 1 - part of the 9th cruiser squadron operating in the Atlantic. For the remainder of the conflict, he worked on shore bases or accommodation vessels, being promoted Acting Warrant Steward in 1918.
He married Sarah Jane Biddle at Alverstoke in 1892, and the couple had two daughters, remaining resident in the Portsmouth area.
Charles Murray Priscott (1872-1954) was born in Portsea, Hampshire, the son of William Thomas Priscott, a Royal Marine and later a warder at the Forton Military Prison in Gosport. Charles joined the Royal Navy in 1893 rated ship’s steward’s boy, after education at Greenwich Hospital School. After training, he was stationed in the Mediterranean in ‘Colossus’ and ‘Edinburgh’ from 1887 to 1890. During the latter year, now a ship’s steward’s assistant, he signed on for twelve years’ service. He was then based in the United Kingdom until July 1893 when he joined HMS ‘Raleigh’ on the Cape of Good Hope and West Africa station. The year from August 1893 was spent in the river gunboat ‘Adventure’. This small vessel with her sister vessel ‘Pioneer’, was hauled overland in sections and reassembled on Lake Nyassa; forming part of an expedition intended to end the slave raiding activities of local Chief Makenjire. The force also included over a hundred Sikh soldiers. Makenjire initially escaped but was captured the following year.
Priscott then went back to ‘Colossus’ until 1896. She was now a coastguard vessel at Holyhead, joining the Reserve Fleet in 1895. He then served in torpedo gunboat HMS Hussar’, deployed to the Mediterranean from 1896 to 1899 where she evacuated the last Ottoman forces from Crete. On 27 January 1897, he was promoted to Ship’s Steward. In 1902 he was at the RN shore base in Burmuda. He then served in home waters and on shore bases until he was pensioned in 1912 only to be called up again in 1914. He served on HMS ‘Europa’ at the start of World War 1 - part of the 9th cruiser squadron operating in the Atlantic. For the remainder of the conflict, he worked on shore bases or accommodation vessels, being promoted Acting Warrant Steward in 1918.
He married Sarah Jane Biddle at Alverstoke in 1892, and the couple had two daughters, remaining resident in the Portsmouth area.
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Object Details
| ID: | MED0129 |
|---|---|
| Collection: | Coins and medals |
| Type: | War medal |
| Display location: | Not on display |
| Creator: | Poynter, Edward John; Wyon, Leonard Charles |
| Events: | East & West Africa War, 1887-1888; East & West Africa War: Lake Nyassa, 1893 |
| Vessels: | Adventure (1891) |
| Date made: | circa 1893 |
| People: | Priscott, Charles Murray |
| Credit: | National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London |
| Measurements: | Overall: 36 mm |