Description
Hong Kong Plague Medal, 1894, Arthur Ward, Shropshire Light Infantry.
Officially impressed: “A. Ward. S.L.I.”
With copy service papers.
A good condition example, with some light edge bruising, the medals were not officially allowed to be worn in uniform, but that did not stop the recipients apparently, most examples showing a lot more contact marking and wear.
Noted as known to exist to the Author in the excellent book about the medal “The Whitewash Brigade”.
Provenance, Sold in Glendinings during February 1936 and again during April 1949.
Private Arthur Ward, Shropshire Light Infantry, was born in Birmingham, Warwickshire circa 1869.
Son of John Ward, of Birmingham.
He had first signed up with the Army on 28th June 1887, 4 months after his 18th Birthday.
He had previously worked as a Gimlet Filer, and was a member of his local Militia, the 3rd Battalion Royal Warwickshire Regiment.
During his 12 year contract, he would spend 3 years in Hong Kong, including the period of the “Black Death” Bubonic Plague outbreak of 1894, having been shipped over on HMS Himalaya during 1891.
This was his service:
Home, 25th June 1887 – 20th December 1891
Hong Kong, 21st December 1891 – 21st December 1894, 3 years 1 days.
India, 22nd December 1894 – 25th March 1897
Home, 26th March 1897 – 24th June 1899.
During his service, he reached the rank of Lance Corporal on 27th July 1892, but then was “Deprived of Lance Stripe” shortly afterwards on 8th November 1892.
During his time in Hong Kong he got himself arrested and was “Convicted by Civil Court for Disorderly Conduct and fined $2.40 in default, 7 days of imprisonment with hard labour” on 23rd October 1893.
Whilst in Hong Kong, he took the opportunity to extend his full time “Colour” service for a good bounty of £10.
31st July 1894: “Permitted to extend his service to complete 10 years with the Colors, on his accepting the bounty of £10 offered by War Office Letter No 27 dated 11.5.94 for an extension of 2 years with the Colors, Authority Hong Kong.”
He would go on to consistently gain good conduct pay, only to then forfeit it soon afterwards throughout his career.
Having spent 4 months as Lance Corporal back in 1892, he saw the remainder of his 12 years as a humble Private to be discharged ending his 12 years on 24th June 1899.
