Egyptian War pair awarded to Corporal later Sergeant J.J. Henshaw, Royal Marines who saw service in Egypt during the Egyptian War. He sadly later committed suicide in 1894 due to the pressures of his position.
Pair: Egypt Medal 1882-1889, dated reverse; (J.J. HENSHAW. CORPL. R.M.) Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued.
Condition: Egypt Medal with pitting and naming rubbed at 3 o’clock making the rank and unit slightly obscured, Fine
John Joshua Henshaw was born at West Derby, Liverpool and giving his trade as clerk enlisted at Liverpool on 25th February 1880, quickly being posted to the Chatham Division on 4th November 1880 where he remained until 28th June 1882 when he was posted to the Mediterranean Battalion as a Corporal where he would stay until he entered hospital on 9th November 1882. With the Mediterranean Battalion he would see service in Egypt during the Egyptian War.
After his hospitalisation he would return to the Chatham Division until 30th September 1884 when he moved to Pembroke being promoted Sergeant on 8th October 1884 before returning to Chatham Division on 25th October 1884 a posting he then held until 5th October 1893. He would then return to Pembroke until 24th August 1894 when he died.
Henshaw’s death, a case of suicide was reported in many newspapers. The Aldershot Military Gazette of 1st September 1894 reporting:
‘An inquest was held at Chatham on Saturday on the body of Joshua John Henshaw (sic), thirty-six a Sergeant in the Royal Marines who committed suicide early on Friday morning by cutting his throat in a public house which he had to pass on the way to his ship. Before committing the fatal act, he asked the landlord what was a good thing to drink for a men who felt worried, and on the landlords’ advice he took an aerated ginger beer. Sergeant Westover stated that the deceased had lately upset himself about the coming annual inspection, and added that little things worried him. A verdict of temporary insanity was returned.
