The Medal for Sudanese Chiefs

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MEDAL PRESENTED ON 17 JANUARY 1912

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On 17 January 1912, "HMS MEDINA", docked at Port Sudan.

Onboard was the newly crowned King George the fifth and Queen Mary who had attended the coronation Durbar at Delhi in India.

The Durbar is commemorated by the very well-known 1911 Delhi Durbar medal.

When they arrived at Port Sudan, the ship was met by Lord Kitchener who was the British Agent and Consul General in Egypt.

The Governor-General of the Sudan, Sir Reginald Wingate accompanied him.

At the time, the Sudan was an Anglo-Egyptian Condominium.

The royal couple then went to Suakin to meet the principle Sudanese chiefs and the guard of honour was formed by the Yorkshire Regiment and 8th Egyptian Battalion.

After an address by Wingate, the King made a speech and then presented this specially struck medal to commemorate the occassion.

The medal was presented to a number of the Sudanese chiefs who had travelled long distances to be present at the occassion.

The royal couple then reviewed Sudanese troops at Sinkat and returned to their ship which set sail for Suez.

It was a very busy 12 hours for the couple who had arrived at 07H30 and then departed at 19H00 on 17 January 1912.

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REVERSE OF MEDAL

The medal is 51mm in diameter and was designed for neck suspension on a 85 cm silver chain.

It was specially commissioned and designed for presentation to the Sudanese Chiefs at the gathering that took place in Suakin.

The medals were struck by the Royal Mint.

The medal may be regarded as being very rare as only 50 were made and it is not known how many examples exist.

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OBVERSE OF THE MEDAL

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The size of the medal can be better appreciated when compared to a pen.