THE AFGHANISTAN CAMPAIGN MEDAL

With that comment, within the first two hundred words of STUD, we are given a strong viewpoint of Dr Watson’s regarding his participation in the Second Anglo-Afghanistan War of 1878 – 1880. That said, Dr Watson was honoured, as were all surviving troops that took part in the skirmishes of that conflict, for service to Queen and country.

Dr Watson wrote that, in 1878 after getting his Doctor of Medicine from the University of London, he underwent training, at Netley, for surgeons in the army and became attached to the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers as an Assistant Surgeon. Before he could meet up with them in India, the Second Afghan War had broken out. Assuming that Dr Watson would join his fellow troops in early 1879, there is no mention of his participation in any military actions until he “served at the fatal battle of Maiwand.”

Elliott Kimball, author of Dr John H Watson At Netley, theorizes that Watson began his studies at Netley in October 1879 and finished them in March of 1880. According to Kimball, Watson was travelling on the Continent for personal reasons from June 1878 until October 1879. Utilizing these dates could justify that Watson’s first military action was at Maiwand on July 27, 1880.

Watson’s service in Afghanistan makes him eligible to receive the Afghanistan Medal, a 36mm round, silver medal (some examples are known in bronze), with a 33mm wide dark green ribbon with crimson on both edges. The medal hangs from a plain suspender that has a double toe claw to hold the medal.

A left-facing bust of Queen Victoria is on the obverse (or front) of the medal. The legend of VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX is around the border of the design. This profile of Victoria was designed by Joseph Boehm.

The central design of the reverse (or back) of the medal features an elephant carrying a cannon, with soldiers, marching and on horseback Below this is the dates 1878-79-80. In the upper left, above the design, is the word AFGHANISTAN. This design was done by Randolph Caldecott, an illustrator of children’s books.

The medal was engraved by Leonard Wyon of the British Royal Mint.

To read the complete article, see:
Dr. Watson’s Afghanistan Campaign Medal (http://fourthgarrideb.com/2016/05/dr-watsons-afghanistan-campaign-medal/)

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