Orders, Decorations and Medals

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 1 clasp, Tel-El-Kebir (Lieut. J. H. Lothian, 1/Rl. I. Regt.) nearly extremely fine and very rare £250-300

John Hastings Lothian was born on 15 October 1862, and gazetted a lieutenant to the Wiltshire Regiment on 10 May 1882. After two months service he was transferred to the 1st battalion Royal Irish Regiment which was then in India at Rawal Pindi and the hill station at Kuldurrah. En route to join his battalion, Lieutenant Lothian met up with the 2nd battalion at one of the mobilization centres gathering troops for the Egyptian campaign. Unfortunately for him, the 2nd battalion had a vacancy for an officer of his grade and he was forthwith drafted into the 2nd battalion, en route to active service in Egypt. Lieutenant Lothian fell ill after the Battle of Tel-El-Kebir on 13th September, 1882, and was removed to Alexandria to recuperate. However, his condition continued to deteriorate until, finally, on 21 November, 1882, he died. This medal is thought to be the only example named to an officer of the 1st battalion for Tel-El-Kebir, and is not recorded by Cresswell. With a military career spanning little more than six months it is understandable that no mention of Lieutenant Lothian is to be found in the regimental history, but his death at Alexandria is confirmed in Hart’s Army List for January 1883.