Hello from Mark (Forum Administrator & Owner)

[Mark]

Hello all

Welcome to my Victorian Wars Forum.

My name is Mark, I live in the West Midlands region of the United Kingdom and have an interest in British military history. In particular I am interested in the Victorian era and the South Staffordshire Regiment including the 38th and 80th Regiments of Foot.

If you are new to the Forum please do feel free to introduce yourself in this section.

Regards

Mark

[dickens43]

Thanks, Mark, for your work in organizing this forum! Gene, Wash., DC

[Mark]

Glad you have found us Gene, I am pleased you like our forum.

Mark

[mart7335]

Hi,thank you for having me.My interest is the Egypt War between 1882 and 1889.I collect medals to the 4th Irish Dragoon Guards and any Officers to the Egypt Campaign. Good luck with your site.

[Mark]

Hi mart7335

A warm welcome to the forum, good to see you here.

The Egypt campaigns between 1882 and 1889 are, in my opinion, fascinating and well worth researching. I have 3 Egypt Medals to the South Staffordshire Regiment (two of which have the 1882 reverse for that campaign) which have the clasps The Nile 1884-5 and Kirbekan. The race to rescue General Gordon has always intrigued me and to know members of my regiment of interest where some of the first (along with the Blackwatch) to reach Khartoum - albeit too late - is brilliant!

I look forward to reading your posts.

Mark

[Grumpy Old Man]

Hi
Just browsing.
I have an interest in both the Second Anglo-Afghan War (Great grandfather Hogg was cavalry Brigade-Major under Nuttall at Maiwand) and the Mutiny (First War of Independence?!) as John Nicholson was a cousin of GGF.

[Mark]

Hi Grumpy Old Man

A warm welcome to the Forum. You will find a number of members here have a strong interest in both the Second-Afghan War and the Indian Mutiny so I'm sure you will find plenty to interest you.

I look forward to reading your posts.

Mark

[mike snook]

Chaps,

At the risk of appearing pedantic 1882-89 is two wars against quite different opponents for quite different reasons; it's not really legit history to bracket these dates as a single operation of war. Arguably it's actually four distinct campaigns; Egyptian Intervention, Gordon Relief Expedition, Red Sea Campaign, and Defence of Upper (or is it Lower - I never can remember!) Egypt.

And I'm sorry to break it to you Mark but neither the South Staffs nor the Black Watch even got close to Khartoum. Check the map for Kirbekan's location. You may be surprised how far north it is: there is a fearful long bend in the Nile beyond Korti - in a literal sense your heroes were, I'm afraid, rowing away from Khartoum, not towards it. The River Column was a non-event in terms of relieving Gordon, except in so far as it provided the logisitc stockpiles which enabled the launching of the Desert Column from Korti. The only British soldiers who got to Khartoum before Kitchener's campaign was launched were members of the Royal Sussex, and, rather sensibly, they didn''t get off the boat!

Regards

Mike

[Mark]

Cheers for the info Mike, I'm more of an Indian campaigns person if I am honest so will have to read-up more on my Egypt history.

Always happy to stand corrected and learn.

Mark

[mike snook]

Mark

I should confess to having a slightly unfair advantage in the Sudan....I am doing a PhD (under a famous professional military historian) and my thesis is based around the Gordon Relief Expedition - hence a subject on which I could bore everybody for days if not whole weeks at a time..... Did you know...............................bla bla bla bla....

Regards

Mike

[Mark]

Mike

Sounds like a great subject to do a PhD in! My BA (Hons) is in Criminal Justice and my MSc in Criminology so a PhD in military history is unlikely for me. Hard work I am sure but also must be rather interesting and rewarding too.

Feel free to tell what you know about the South Staffords in Egypt

Mark

[mike snook]

Mark

Remind me not to steal anything from you. It sounds like I'd have precious little chance of getting away with it!!

As ever

Mike

[Derek]

Hi Mark and all members.I have been a collector of medals since 1960 and have a general collection.However over the years my main interest is Indian Mutiny, Egypt 1882 and Sudan Campaigns, Afghanistan 1880, and the Zulu campaign,Always on the lookout for scarcer meals of these campaigns,odd regiments etc.. ,with or without bars.I have an extensive library always willing to share , may have the odd items of interest to share.I shall be in Natal in eight weeks time on my ninth visit to Rorke's Drift .so really that is the campaign I have always been interested in.Once had 171 Zulu medals including 38 24th foot however, most will be other collections now. It was not that I was rich but at around £5 a time in the 60s, another world.Incidentally I am a member of the OMRS No 1019.Hope all this makes sense. Good hunting Derek

[Mark]

Hi Derek

A very warm welcome to the VWF - always great to see a fellow Victorian medal collector join up.

I take it you are also a member of the British Medal Forum?

Glad to have you aboard, I hope really enjoy your time here with us.

Mark

[almaboy]

Hi,
my name is Tony and I have been an avid collector of Crimea medals for 25+ years. My particular topic is Alma casualties and the ultimate goal is to get one for every Regt engaged (I'm about halfway so far!)

I also have a number to other Regts including Thin Red Line and 3 Heavy Brigade chargers as well as a number of other battle casualties.

I have an extensive library and as a member of the OMRS have a great deal of experience as regards Crimea medals in general. This is a fantastic forum and I hope to be able to assist other members with their Crimean queries as well as solving a few of my own!

I look forward to a flurry of questions!! Regards Tony