Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Tel-el-Kebir C.G.M. group of four awarded to Sergeant Harry Henry, Royal Marine Light Infantry

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R., 2nd issue (Corporal H. Henry, R.M.L.I.) officially impressed naming; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Corpl. H. Henry, R.M.L.I.); Royal Navy L.S. & G.C., V.R., narrow suspension (Harry Henry, Sergt. No. 960 Chat. R.M.L.I.) impressed naming; Khedive’s Star 1882, suspension claw tightened on the first, pitting from star but generally very fine and rare (4) £10000-12000

Only 6 C.G.Ms. were awarded for the operations in Egypt 1882, including two for the battle of Tel-el-Kebir.

Recommendation dated 27 September 1882, submitted by Howard S. Jones, Colonel Commanding Royal Marines, Ghezireh Camp, Cairo, in respect of Lieut. J. Bernard, Cpl. Harry Henry and Bugler J. F. McDaniel, the latter two men subsequentl’being awarded the C.G.M.:-

‘Following up with his half company, on September 13th, 1882, a very superior force of the enemy, killing a great number and driving the remainder on to our cavalry.’

Harry Henry was born in Dartford, Kent, on 19 August 1858 and entered the Royal Marines at Walmer in February 1876. He disembarked with the Royal Marine Battalion in Egypt on 19 August 1882, and was mentioned in General Wolseley’s despatch of 24 September 1882, for his services at Tel-el-Kebir. He was also present in the engagement at Kassassin, where he received a ‘wound on the vertex of the head by a fragment of shell’. He was promoted to Sergeant on 20 October 1882, for ‘special service in Egypt’, and returned to the Chatham Division in England. On 19 January 1883 he was presented with his C.G.M. by H.M. The Queen.

Sergeant Harry Henry, a musician by trade, was finally discharged at Chatham on 20 August 1897, due to length of service. He subsequently enrolled into the Royal Fleet Reserve from July 1902 for two years. Sold with three original Parchment Certificates of service and discharge and two copy portrait photographs.