Africa General Service Medal

The Africa General Service Medal 1902-1956 was a campaign medal of the Commonwealth. It was awarded for minor campaigns in tropical Africa, it was still current in 1914 and nine later clasps were issued. The medal is never seen without a clasp and some are very rare, most being granted to local forces like the King's Africa Rifles.

Description

• The obverse with uncrowned head of Queen Elisabeth II and the inscription "REGINA·F:D:ELIZABETH·II·DEI·GRATIA".
• The reverse with a highly symbolic design depicting Britania offering peace and law to Africa as a new day breaks

Clasps

• East Africa 1914, East Africa 1915, East Africa 1918 all mainly for service against the Turkhana tribe.
• Shimber Berris 1914-15, recalled service in two brief campaigns in November 1914 and February 1915 in which Indian troops were largely employed to destroy fortifications in Somaliland.
• Nyasaland 1915, was granted mainly to the KAR and local volunteers for service during a rebellion in the Shire Highlands.
• Jubaland1917-18, was awarded for operations against the Aulihan tribe along the Juba river.
• Nigeria 1918, was granted for service during a revolt by the Egba tribe between Abeokuta and Lagos.
• Somaliland 1920, was a much larger affair and commemorated the last of the campaigns against 'the Mad Mullah' and was awarded to Army, Navy and Air Force personnel.
• Kenya, this clasp was awarded fifty years after the medal was introduced and by far the most common, for service between 21fs October 1952 and 17th November 1956 during the Emergency, declared as a result of the Mau-Mau rebellion by the Kikuyu tribe. A large number of British regiments and Royal Air Force squadrons received the medal.

References

• Shire Books - British Campaign Medals 1914-2005