Egypt & Sudan Medal 1882-89 (2394, Pte C. W. Pepper, 2/ Dragn Gds)

Chosen Man: Private Charles William Pepper is confirmed as one of 45 x 'All-Ranks' of the 2nd Dragoon Guards 'Queen's Bay's' to have served with 1st Company  Heavy Camel Regiment in the Nile Expedition of 1884-85 as part of the relief  force deployed up the Nile to relieve General Gordon at Khartoum - a 'Desert Epic' that ultimately failed

Medal(s) & Clasp Verification: The recipients entitlement to the Egypt Medal & clasp together with a Khedival Star is confirmed per below cited medal roll & official source:

- Egypt Medal 'The Nile 1884-85': WO 100/62. Roll signed Officer Commanding Heavy Camel Regiment 
- Khedives Star 1884-6: WO 100/62. Shows star was sent by Horse Guards, War Office on 29/12/1887

Recipients service papers (several sets, covering 3 x separate enlistments lastly with Royal Engineers) are extant and are held & accessible at The National Archives

The Heavy Camel Regiment 1884-85

The plan to rescue General Gordon from the Mahdi's dervishes in Khartoum involved a boat trip up the Nile and the deployment of camel mounted troops to cross the Bayuda desert. There were 3 regiments, the Heavy Camel Regiment, the Guards Camel Regiment, and the Mounted Infantry Camel Regiment. The Heavy Camel Regiment was made up of the following:

- No.1 Coy. The Blues and the Queen's Bays
- No.2 Coy. 1st and 2nd Life Guards
- No.3 Coy. 4th and 5th Dragoon Guards
- No.4 Coy. Royal Dragoons and Scots Greys
- No.5 Coy. 5th and 16th Lancers

When the first troops went to Egypt in 1882 there had been calls for drafts posted to regiments that fought at Te-el-Kebir and Kasassin. Twenty-eight men had been sent to the 4th DG so some of them may have been part of the Heavy Camel Regiment as well as the 43 men and two officers who were in no.1 Company. The two officers were Captain Gould and Lieutenant Hibbert. The Camel Corps sailed from Portsmouth on 26 Sep 1884. The Duke of Cambridge wrote, 'It is most distasteful to Regiments and officers and men, especially the commanding officers are disgusted at seeing their best men taken from them, and themselves being disbarred from sharing in the honours and glories..'

Of the 45 x 'All-Ranks' of the Queens Bay's to serve with 1st Company Heavy Camel Regiment, the 2 x Officers & 38 x 'Other Ranks' subsequently fought at the Battle of Abu Klea. Charles William Pepper was one of the 5 x 'Other Ranks' not present at 'Abu-Klea'

Condition: Medal with light pitting and toned VF

Code: 26159