About the product

Egypt The Nile 1884-5 Cameron Highlanders

Egypt Medal, undated, bar The Nile 1884-5, 918 Pte David Darling, 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, very little star pitting for an Egypt.

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SKU: J6241 Category:
Origin: United Kingdom
Nearly Extremely Fine

Description

Egypt Medal, undated, bar The Nile 1884-5, 918 Pte David Darling, 1st Battalion Cameron Highlanders, very little star pitting for an Egypt.

 

David Darling was born during 1861 in Milton, Glasgow, Lanarkshire.

 

At the time of the 1881 Scotland Census he was working as a Railway Goods Porter, it shows him as the eldest son of Alexander and Jessie Ann Darling, living at Caledonian Buildings, Coatbridge, Lanarkshire
He attested for service on 8th July 1884 at the age of 22 having been an Iron Puddler, he requested to join the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlander’s and was accepted.

 

As the Egypt and Sudan war was ongoing, he was promptly put on a boat for service, arriving in Egypt on 18th November 1884 where he would serve until 18th June 1886.

 

The 1st Battalion was already there since 1882, having fought at Tel El-Kebir previously. When he arrived he took part in the Nile Expedition into Sudan, which included the Defence of Kosheh and the Battle of Ginnis on 30th December 1885.

 

Following their victory, he returned home before being transferred to the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders as of 1st August 1887. Then posted to Ceylon arriving on 31st December 1887 until 5th December 1888 when the 1st Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders were moved to Hong Kong for 4 years until he returned home on 23rd March 1892.
After further service at home he was discharged to the reserve on 1st July 1896. He served a further 5 years as a reservist to be discharged on 13th September 1901, he does not appear to have been called up for further war service in the Boer War.

 

An obituary is listed of a David Darling who was born in the same year, 1861 and living in Coatbridge, where his family was from was found dead by suicide during 1924, noted in the Scotsman 25th July 1924 and appears to be him as no other David Darling was born in the same year:

 

“Poisoned by Gas Inhalation – A man named David Darling, a boilermaker, 63 years of age, residing at 193 Hutton Street Coatbridge, was found dead in his house there through having inhaled gas through a tube connected with a gas ring.”

 

Also mentioned in the local Coatbridge Leader, 26th July 1924:

 

“A HUTTON STREET TRAGEDY:

 

Between 1.30 and 11 pm on Wednesday, David Darling, labourer, 63 years of age, residing at 13 Hutton Street, was found to have died in his bedroom from Gas Poisoning, the gas having been inhaled through a tube connected with a cooking ring.”