East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, 2 Clasps: 1892, 1893-94 awarded to Lance Corporal T.B. Symonds, 1st Battalion, West India Regiment who saw service in operations in West Africa during the period 1892 to 1894. East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, 2 Clasps: 1892, 1893-94 awarded to Lance Corporal T.B. Symonds, 1st Battalion, West India Regiment.
East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, 2 Clasps: 1892, 1893-94; (3147 L. CORPL. T.B. SYMONDS. 1/W.I.RGT.)
Condition: Nearly Extremely Fine
Thomas Benjamin Symonds was born in the parish of St. Thomas, Barbados. Enlisting into the West India Regiment on the 30th July 1888, at the age of 19 years old giving his trade as a labourer. He would serve in the West Indies from 31st July 1888 to 12th December 1891 being promoted Lance Corporal on 10th June 1891. He would then serve in West Africa from 13th December 1891 to 8th January 1894, and then West Indies from 9th January 1894 to 20th February 1894. Discharged because of tuberculosis. Symonds’ papers state entitlement to the 1892 Bar, the medal roll says he is entitled also to the 1893-94 bar.
Entitlement for the 1892 clasp was earnt by being 1 of:
531 men of the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment were present in the expedition against the Tambi in Sierra Leone from 8th March – 11th April 1892
and/or 349 men of the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment were present in the expedition against the Toniataba in Sierra Leone from 12th March to 30th April 1892
and/or 61 men of the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment were present in the expedition against the Jebu in Nigeria from 12th to 25th May 1892.
Entitlement for the 1893-94 clasp was earnt by being 1 of:
470 men of the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment present in operations against the Sofas in Sierra Leone, 26th November 1893 to 20th January 1894; an expedition under Colonel Ellis, West India Regiment was despatched to quell the Sofas who had been raiding from French Territory.
1 of 380 men of the 1st Battalion, West India Regiment present in operations on the Gambia River 22nd February 1894 to 11th March 1894, an expedition was sent against Chief Fodeh Silah who was engaged in slave raiding, was terrorising the district west of Cape St. Mary, and was generally threatening the stability of the colony of Gambia. Although present, the Royal Navy only qualified for the clasp ‘Gambia 1894’
