PRIVATE J. VERNER, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS. Egypt Medal 1882-89, undated rever
£850.00
PRIVATE J. VERNER, 2ND BATTALION ROYAL IRISH FUSILIERS. Egypt Medal 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, El-Teb (officially engraved: 1564. Pte. J. VERNER. 2/R. IR: FUSrs.). Couple of minor contact marks on Queen’s cheek, otherwise Extremely Fine, virtually as struck and the naming details in the same style and manner as seen on the Ashantee Medal 1873-74, with the original niello blackening to the letters and numerals in naming still intact and scarce as such.
El-Teb rare as a single clasp to the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers.
Medal accompanied by copied one-page application for a Special Campaign Pension dated 31/8/1916, giving biographical and service details, along with copied extracts from the medal rolls (2) for the Egypt Medal and Khedives Star, the Egypt Medal roll confirming medal with single clasp El-Teb and the Khedives Star roll confirming entitled Khedives Star and that, by the time the medal roll was drawn up in November 1844, Verner had been “discharged, address not known”. Medal also accompaniedby extract regimental history and transcript of British Army Worldwide Index 1871.
James Verner was born in Tartaraghan, Co. Armagh, circa 1851. He enlisted into the Royal Irish Fusiliers on 20/8/1869 and is recorded in the 1871 British Army Worldwide Index as 1564 Private, serving with the 89th (Princess Victoria’s) Regiment (the post 1880 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers), at Cannanore, India. After seeing service in the Sudan with the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers in 1884, including the battle of El Teb, 29/2/1884, Verner was discharged “free” at his own request in June 1884, having served a total of 14 years and 10 months with the colours with one month disallowed, presumably for misbehaviour, with the result no Long Service and Good Conduct Medal awarded. Verner was presumably invalided after the battle of El Teb, the medal roll for the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers for the Sudan Campaign of 1884, dated Portsmouth, July 1884, records Verner as then being at the Regimental Depot in Armagh. In addition to service at home, Verner saw service abroad for 13 years and 4 months in India and 1 year in Egypt.
Pension application of 1916 confirms that, at the time of the application for a Special Campaigns Pension, under the terms of Article 1170 of the Royal Pay and Pensions Warrant, Verner was then not receiving any other pension for military service and his wife had no earnings, but he was receiving 7 shillings a week from his daughter. Verner’s application was successful and he was granted a Special Campaigns Pension of 10 pence per day from 31/8/1916. At the time of making the 1916 pension application Verner was resident at 16 Wilson Street, Portadown, and gave his trade as labourer.
Only 20 El-Teb clasps to the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Fusiliers, 1 officer and 19 other ranks.
Roland Brinckman’s regimental history “Historical Record of the Eighty-Ninth Princess Victoria’s Regiment” records the 89th as having sustained 9 casualties at the battle of El Teb Quartermaster Watkins, Sergeant Stubbington and 7 other ranks.
Tartaraghan is a small village in county Armagh, currently located within the boundaries of Craigavon Borough Council. It had a population of 90 people at the time of the 2001 census.