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'. Below: 'Khedive of Egypt' (in Arabic letters). Reverse: the monogram of the Khedive, a crown above.
Awarded to William Thomas Hall, Leading Seaman HMS 'Superb'.

William Thomas Hall (1855-1929) was born in Devon, the son of Edward Hall, shoemaker. of Yealmpton. William’s naval record says that he was born here, but the census sometimes gives his birthplace as Plymouth. He was already in the Royal Navy in 1871 and in 1873 signed up for ten years’ service, renewed for a further ten years. He was rated Ordinary Seaman during that year. He was in ‘London’, depot ship at Zanzibar from 1874-6, being promoted Able Seaman during this time. From 1876-8 Hall, served in ‘Indus’, the guard ship at Devonport. From September 1878 to October 1879 he was in the training ship ‘Atalanta’, being rated Leading Seaman during this time. He left the ship before she foundered in the Atlantic during February 1880. Hall next saw active service in ‘Superb’ stationed in the Mediterranean. She took part in the bombardment of Alexandria, on the 11th July 1882. Hall’s additional medal bar for ‘Suakin’ was awarded to him as a member of a naval brigade, manned from his ship ‘Carysfort’ and other vessels. The brigade served on shore during a military expedition tasked with building a railway from the port of Suakin to Berber on the Nile. Following the death of Gordon and the loss of the Sudan to the Mahdists, it was hoped that this would assist in the reconquest of the territory, but the expedition was short-lived and unsuccessful. Hall spent the remainder of his career in training vessels and shore establishments, retiring at the end of his twenty years’ service in 1895. In 1879 he married Jane Ann Collins, also from Yealmpton. The couple settled in Portsmouth and had four children. William Hall died in nearby Havant in 1929.