Pair: Leading Seaman E. Wilson, Royal Navy Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 2...

Pair: Leading Seaman E. Wilson, Royal Navy Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 2 clasps, Suakin 1885, Tofrek (E. Wilson. A.B: H.M.S “Minotaur.”); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued, light pitting from Star, very fine (2) £700-£900 --- Provenance: Captain K. J. Douglas-Morris Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, February 1997 (Egypt and Sudan Medal only). One of only 7 clasps for Tofrek issued to H.M.S. Condor. Edward Wilson was born in Plumstead, Kent, on 1 July 1860 and joined the Royal Navy as a Boy Second Class on 1 October 1875. He served in H.M.S. Minotaur from 5 April to 5 December 1882, and was advanced Able Seaman on 12 July 1882. Serving further in H.M.S. Condor from 31 January 1884 to 10 September 1887, he was promoted Leading Seaman on 29 January 1885, and saw further service in the Sudan as part of the Naval Brigade under Commander W. C. H. Domville, R.N., H.M.S. Condor, being present at various actions at Suakin during 1885 and at the battle of Tofrek on 22 March 1885. The Naval Brigade at Tofrek
At the request of Major General Sir J. MacNeill, a small Naval Brigade of 6 officers and 43 men with 4 Gardner guns was attached to his force. Each gun crew comprised one Lieutenant and 6 men. Two Gardner guns were each allocated for placement at the northern and southern outward facing corners of the defensive squares formed by the Berkshire Regiment and the Royal Marine Battalion. When the enemy’s surprise attack materialised, the naval Gardner guns were quickly in action but again proved unreliable and ineffective. Jamming after firing only a few rounds, the northern gun crews were quickly overrun and became involved in hectic hand to hand fighting with the fanatical Arabs. The twenty minutes that the battle lasted were crowded with cool bravery, wild bewilderment and fanatical desperation. As the smoke and dust cleared away, a shambles of bodies of both men and animals was revealed. The British lost seven officers and sixty-three men killed, and six officers and eighty-nine men wounded. The small Naval Brigade suffered heavily, losing 40% of its strength with one officer and six men killed, and one officer and four men wounded. Wilson was shore discharged on 6 July 1888. Sold with copied record of service and medal roll extracts, which confirm that both clasps were issued for service in H.M.S. Condor.