1882 Egypt Medal (entitled to Suakin 1885 Clasp) Brothel Casualty.

1882 Egypt Medal awarded and correctly named to 15631 Richard Johnson 26th Company Royal Engineers with service record. The medal has at some time had the suspender removed and has been fitted into a brooch mount or similar (a hole has been drilled and them plugged on the bottom) and then had a none swivel suspender fitted (possibly a 1914-1918 medal suspender) sans the Suakin 1885 clasp.

Johnson enlisted in the Royal Engineers at Grantham in June 1878. By 1882 he was in Egypt. While serving in Egypt he spent a total of 115 days in hospital including being admitted for 57 days in April 1884 suffering from primary syphilis. He returned to England in 1885 and was placed on the army reserve list and discharged in 1890. I can find no record of Johnson after his discharge but given his syphilis diagnosis and the fact his medal ended up being at some point converted to jewellery I suspect his life was neither long nor happy.

The medal comes with the copied service papers pictured (these are from the WO97 Royal Hospital Chelsea records held by the National Archives).

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