Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A rare M.S.M. and Sudan service group of seven awarded to Sergeant-Major G. L. Fitzgerald, North Staffordshire Regiment, who was attached to Egyptian Army 1897-1919

Queen’s Sudan 1896-98 (3043 L./Sgt. G. L. Fitzgerald, S.D.S. E.A.), initials given as ‘G. L.’; British War Medal 1914-20 (3043 W.O. Cl. 1 G. Fitzgerald, N. Staff. R.); Army L.S. & G.C., E.VII.R. (3043 C. Sjt. G. Fitzgerald, N. Staff. Regt.); Army Meritorious Service Medal, G.V.R. (3043 Sergt. Major G. Fitzgerald, N. Staff. R.), rank corrected; Egypt, Order of the Nile, 5th Class breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel; Khedive’s Sudan 1896-1908, no clasp, unnamed as issued; Khedive’s Sudan 1910-21, 1 clasp, Nyima 1917-18, unnamed as issued, silvered and lacquered, contact marks, otherwise generally very fine (7) £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to the North Staffordshire Regiment.

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George Fitzgerald was born in Christchurch, Surrey in July 1871 and enlisted in the 1st Battalion, North Staffordshire Regiment in May 1890, direct from the 3rd (Volunteer) Battalion, Devon Regiment. Subsequently posted to the 1st Battalion, he was advanced to Lance-Corporal in June 1892 and to Corporal in September 1894.

Having then been attached to the Egyptian Army in January 1897, he was promoted to Lance-Sergeant and participated in the Dongola Expedition (Queen’s Medal; Khedive’s Medal), services that may well have resulted in his rapid advancement to Sergeant in December 1898.

In December 1901, he was re-engaged for the North Staffordshire Regiment at Khartoum, gaining appointment as Colour-Sergeant in the same month, while in September 1908, and having been awarded the L.S. & G.C. Medal, he was advanced to a Quarter-Master Sergeant.

By the outbreak of hostilities in 1914, he was still serving in Egypt, as a Warrant Officer Class 1, and it was in the same theatre of war that he was mentioned in despatches by Sir Reginald Wingate (London Gazette 25 October 1916, refers), and awarded the M.S.M. (London Gazette 1 January 1917, refers).

He subsequently participated in the Nyima operations of 1917-18, gaining a mention in despatches from Major-General Sir L. O. FitzM. Stack, Acting Sirdar of the Egyptian Army and Acting Governor-General of the Sudan (London Gazette 5 June 1919, refers), in addition to the 5th Class of the Egyptian Order of the Nile (The Egyptian Special War Office Gazette 9 October 1919, refers); his MIC entry confirms his entitlement to a single British War Medal 1914-20, in addition to the Khedive’s Sudan Medal for the Nyima operations in 1917-18.

Fitzgerald returned home in June 1919 and was discharged in November of the same year; sold with copied research.