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.. Inscription on edge: 'RANDALL.W, P.O.1. CL., H.M.S.SATELLITE'. Bar : 'GAMBIA 1894'. Suspended from a bar, and yellow ribbon with a broad black edge and narrow black central stripes.

William Randall (1860-1904) was born in Weymouth, Dorset, the son of a chimney sweeper. He entered the Royal Navy after working for a butcher, on 22 March 1876. He was initially rated as boy 2nd class and after training, he served in armoured frigate HMS ‘Hector’ from 15 November 1877. She was then part of the Southern Reserve Fleet. During this time, Randall was rated Ordinary Seaman. He was in training ship ‘Atalanta’ from 2 June 1879 to 22 September 1879, being rated Able Seaman from 1 September 1879. Randall was in HMS ‘Minotaur’, flagship of the Channel Squadron, for two years from December 1879. He then joined HMS ‘Constance’ when she was commissioned in October 1882 and was sent out to the Pacific where she visited ports in North and South America, the Pacific Islands and Hong Kong where she underwent a refit in early 1886. Randall then returned to the United Kingdom, now rated Petty Officer 1st Class. On 18 August 1886, he joined ‘Pylades’, commissioned for service on the North America and West Indies Station, leaving the ship at Bermuda on 12 November 1889 when she was recommissioned with a new crew. Randell joined HMS ‘Satellite’ on 9 January 1894 for service on the Pacific Station. In February she was diverted from Las Palmas to Bathurst (Banjul) in the Gambia to join operations against Fodi Silah after British forces had suffered a reverse. A squadron consisting of ‘Satellite’, ‘Widgeon’, ‘Alecto’ and ‘Magpie’ under the command of Admiral Frederick Bedford attempted to bombard Gonjur - Fodi Silah’s chief stronghold. Subsequently a naval brigade landed and advanced on the town, meeting up with a column of the West India Regiment en route. When they arrived at Gonjur, it had already been abandoned and set on fire.
‘Satellite’ spent the rest of her commission on the west coast of the Americas before returning to the UK to be paid off. Randall spent the remainder of his career in home waters before being pensioned in 1903. He returned to his home town of Weymouth where he died a year later.

He married Annie Elizabeth Dorey in 1889 in Weymouth and they had one son William Edward Randell (1901-1983).

Object Details

ID: MED1346
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; Gambia Expedition, 1894
Vessels: Satellite (1881)
Date made: 1874
People: Randall, William
Credit: National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London
Measurements: Overall: 36 mm