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 1882'. Below 'Khedive of Egypt' (in Arabic letters). Reverse: the monogram of the Khedive, a crown above. Awarded by the Khedive to all those who received the Egypt Medal. Awarded to Lieut. A.W.J. Portal. R.N. Dated 1882. Fitted with a decorative pin bar for wear. Contained in fitted box (numbered ZBA8018) of issue with MED1083.

Alaric William John Portal (1861-1906) was born at Laverstoke, Hampshire. His parents were Melville Portal, a Justice of the Peace, Member of Parliament and major landowner. His mother was Lady Charlotte Mary, daughter of the 2nd Earl of Minto, who from 1835 was First Lord of the Admiralty. After school at Brighton, Alaric joined the Royal Navy as a ‘Britannia’ naval cadet on 15 July 1874. He was a midshipman in ‘Shah’ and would have been present during the engagement between ‘Shah’, ‘Amethyst’ and the Peruvian monitor ‘Huascar’ (the latter in rebel hands). This action saw the first use in action of a self-propelled torpedo although this missed its intended target. During Portal’s service, this vessel was the flagship on the Pacific Station. On 2 December 1878, he moved to ‘Triumph’, the ship that replaced her. Portal remained in the Pacific in ‘Thetis’, as a Sub Lieutenant from 21 July 1880. He returned to England for further training in 1881, at Greenwich and in ‘Vernon’ and ‘Excellent’. He did well, as his service record states ‘…excels in all branches of his profession - one of the most promising officers I have ever met with.’ A Lieutenant from 21 January 1882, Portal served in ‘Minotaur’ during the Anglo-Egyptian War, then was in ‘Agincourt’ from May 1883 to 12 May 1884. He subsequently underwent torpedo training in HMS ‘Vernon’. After the commissioning of ‘Lizard’, Portal commanded her on her outward voyage to the Australia station - the ship surviving a brief grounding on a wrongly charted coral reef off Queensland. Portal remained on the Australia station in ‘Nelson’ and ‘Orlando’. He then returned to the United Kingdom, retiring due to ill health in 1893 and was promoted to the rank of Commander on the retired list. He died unmarried while resident at Havant.