The scarce Royal Marines Naval Brigade Ashantee War and Zulu War pair awarded to Private T. Chard, Royal Marines, H.M.S. Argus, later H.M.S. Tenedos who was present aboard H.M.S. Argus during the Ashantee Campaign of 1873-74, before later serving as part of H.M.S. Tenedos’ Naval Brigade during the Zulu War. 1 of 57 clasped medals to Tenedos, just 15 of which were issued to members of the Royal Marines.
Pair: Ashantee Medal 1873-1874, no clasp; (T. CHARD. PTE. R.M. H.M.S ARGUS 73-74) South Africa Medal 1877-1879, 1 Clasp: 1879; (“TENEDOS” T. CHARD. PTE. R.M. H.M.S.)
Condition: minor contact wear, Good Very Fine
Thomas Chard was born in Benedict, Exeter, Devonshire who having enlisted saw service with the Royal Marines as a Private and who was present aboard H.M.S. Argus during the Ashantee Campaign of 1873-74. He would later arrive in Durban in 1878 when he landed as part of the Naval Brigade, whilst the ship was ordered to the estuary of the Tugela River to find a suitable sport for landing troops and supplies on the northern Zulu bank of the river. The ships Naval Brigade was left to guard Fort Tenedos when the rest of the Naval Brigade advanced to Eshowe with Pearson in January 1879. Tenedos’s Naval Brigade re-embarked in May 1879 and Tenedos was sent back to Britain for repairs.
Only 57 medals with the clasp 1879 were issued to H.M.S. Tenedos, 15 of which to the Royal Marines, the lowest number of clasps issued to any of the ships Naval Contingent that served during the campaigns of 1877-9.
