Afghanistan Medal (United Kingdom)

Afghanistan Medal
Obverse (top left) and reverse (top right) of the medal. Ribbon: 33mm, dark green with broad crimson edges.
Awarded by United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland
Type	Campaign medal
Eligibility	British and Indian forces.
Awarded for	Campaign service.
Campaign	Afghanistan 1878–1880.
Description	Silver or bronze disk, 36mm diameter.
Clasps	Ali Musjid Peiwar Kotal Charasia Kabul Ahmed Khel Kandahar
Statistics
Established	19 March 1881

The Afghanistan Medal was awarded for the military actions involving the British Army and local Indian units in Afghanistan between 1878–1880. This was the Second Anglo-Afghan War, the first being from 1839–1842.

This medal was awarded to all who took part in the campaigns against Afghanistan known as the Second Afghan War. In 1877 the Amir refused to accept a British resident and the following year raised an army which began harassing the Indian frontier. A treaty with Russia, however, granting it protective rights in Afghanistan, precipitated an armed response from Britain. In 1880 General Roberts led a column from Kabul to Kandahar to relieve General Burrows and the resulting battle led to the defeat of the Afghans and the conclusion of the war. The soldiers who took part in this march were also awarded the Kabul to Kandahar Star. Medals awarded to the 66th Foot (Berkshire Regiment) and E Battery of B Brigade, Royal Artillery, rate a high premium as these units sustained the heaviest casualties as the battle of Maiwand in July 1880.^[1]

Description

• The Afghanistan Medal is a circular silver (or, in rare cases, bronze) design of 36mm in diameter. The obverse shows a veiled effigy of Queen Victoria, facing left, with "VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX" around the edge.
• The reverse shows marching and mounted soldiers with arms with an elephant carrying a cannon. In the upper-left of the medal around the edges is "AFGHANISTAN" and on the bottom in a straight line is "1878-79-80"
• The medal hangs from a plain suspender which is attached to the medal with a double toe claw. The ribbon for the medal is 33mm in width and is dark green with broad crimson edges.
• Plain silver clasps were awarded and are found as follows:
  • "ALI MUSJID" (21 November 1878)
  • "PEIWAR KOTAL" (2 December 1878)
  • "CHARASIA" (6 October 1879)
  • "KABUL" (10–23 December 1879)
  • "AHMED KHEL" (19 April 1880)
  • "KANDAHAR" (1 September 1880)

See also

• British campaign medals
• Australian campaign medals
• Canadian order of precedence (decorations and medals)
• New Zealand campaign medals
• Second Afghan War
• Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan

Notes

1. 1. Medals Yearbook 2002, p144

Bibliography

• Mackay, J and Mussel, J (eds). (2001) Medals Yearbook – 2002. Token Publishing Limited, Devon, UK.
• Duckers, P. (2000) British Campaign Medals 1815–1914. Shire Publications Limited, Buckinghamshire, UK.

External links

• The Second Anglo-Afghan War 1878-1880