THE KHEDIVE’S SUDAN MEDAL 1910-22 - TYPE II
In December 1914, Khedive Abbas Hilmi II, the last Turkish Ottoman Viceroy of Egypt, was deposed when Britain, which was at war with Turkey, declared Egypt an independent Sultanate under British protection, and his uncle Hussein Kamel made Sultan. The Sudan Medal 1910 continued to be issued but, presumably as there were substantial stocks held, the design remained unchanged. In October 1917 Kemel died, and his brother Fuad I became Sultan, and later King, of Egypt. Now with large numbers of medals having to be issued for the Darfur campaign, under Special Army Order of 25 September 1918, the Medal was re-struck with the same reverse, but now bore the Togra of the new Sultan on the obverse. The same rules applied for its award, and its name remained unchanged. The Medal suspension was now non-swivelling. This has become known as the ‘Type II’ Medal, with the earlier issue the ‘Type I’.
Lau Nuer (27 February-25 April 1917) 35 clasps awarded to British officers.
In May of 1916, while the Darfur campaign was under way in the West, a party of Lau Nuer tribesmen of the Upper Nile Province, attacked a small patrol of the VIIIth Sudanese, killing the officer in charge and six soldiers. This atrocity, coupled with repeated appeals from the Dinka tribesmen of Mongalla for protection against the continuing raids of the Lau Nuer, forced the government to take action. In February 1917 a patrol was despatched to bring the culprits to justice, and to bring the others to their senses. Major E. A. T. Bayly, D.S.O., Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was given command.
The Lau country was penetrated by three columns, and the Lau Nuer quickly realised that opposition would be useless and tendered their submission. Lieutenant C. A. Heinekey-Buxton, 4th Hussars. was severely wounded in the course of the operations but eventually recovered. With the advent of the rainy season in May the troops were withdrawn after an administrative post garrisoned by one company of Sudanese Infantry under Captain C. C. Godwin, Yorkshire Regiment, had been established at Nyerol, south of the Sobat river at the head of Khor Filue.
Nyima 1917-18 (5 April 1917-21 February 1918) 52 clasps awarded to British officers and 15 to other ranks.
By late 1916 the Nubas of the Jebel Sultan in the Nyima hills of Kordofan Province, were becoming increasingly truculent, refusing to pay their taxes and harbouring fugitives from justice. It was also reported by the local people that a leader by the name of Agabria wad Ahauga, was spoiling for a showdown with the Government. On 16 January 1917, Agabria with 50 horsemen raided Kasha. Fortunately the people of the neighbouring hills came to their help and Agabria retired discomforted, leaving six dead behind him.
The government decided to take immediate action and, on 18 January, a Company of Mounted Infantry reached the District Headquarters at Dilling in support of the District Commissioner, Captain R. W. Hutton, Royal Marine Artillery. A sudden raid by Hutton on the people of Kurmutti who were allied to Agabria let it be seen that Government was aware of what was going on. The raid seemed to have the appropriate effect on most of the locals, with the exception, however, of Agabria and his followers. Hutton decided to carry out another surprise raid, this time on Agabria’s own village, so he led a patrol out from Dilling on 2-3 April. The distance to Agabria’s base was underestimated so that the patrol did not reach its objective until after dawn when any chance of surprise was lost. The Nuba fought back ferociously, and Hutton was forced to withdraw, being shot in the head and killed while doing so. With the advent of the rainy season, further major military operations had to be postponed. However, small patrols were continually sent out to harass the Nuba, burn villages, and gain information for future action. Posts were established in the Nuba mountains at Kelama, Ulul and Fassu.
By the beginning of November 1917, Lieutenant-Colonel L. K. Smith, of the Royal Scots, arrived in the Nuba Hills area with a large force comprising over 2,800 men, 18 machine-guns and eight field guns, which was led by 136 British and Egyptian officers. He divided his force into three columns, which completely encircled the Nyima Hills, and by a slow process of isolation dealt with each hill individually. The Nuba were harassed relentlessly by artillery and machine-gun fire, and their water sources captured. Leaders from other tribes were brought in to watch the action, as a clear example of what happened to those who rebelled against the authority of the government. By the end of February 1918 the revolt was over, and the rebellious hills completely reduced, with over 4,000 prisoners and 700 rifles taken. Agabria and the Kunjur Kilkun, his chief medicine man, were captured, tried, and hanged.
Atwot 1918 (13 March-25 May 1918) 13 clasps awarded to British officers.
In the Southern Sudan memories were notoriously short-lived, and not in every case did a punishment inflicted have the desired effect of restraining those concerned from future misbehaviour. So it was with the Atwot Dinka of the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province. Nine years previously they had received a salutary lesson when Chief Ashwol and his followers were brought to heel by a patrol under the command of Harvey Bey, after which Ashwol declared his fidelity to the British. By 1917 his prestige had so diminished that he was unable to contain his people from again rising in rebellion, under the leadership of Dio Alam. This group joined up with Malwal Mathiang, a relative of Myang Mathiang, who was shot and killed leading the Agar Dinka rebellion of 1902.
In May 1917 the rebels attacked a medical officer and some police on the Rumbek-Yirrol road and then proceeded to raid the government cattle camp on the Naam river. In December 1917 a party of soldiers from Atwot Post was attacked. It was discovered that Mathiang planned to tie up with other prominent Agar Dinka, and attack the headquarters of the Eastern Bahr-el-Ghazal administration at Rumbek. It seems that if he succeeded, then the whole of the Eastern Dinka would join his rebellion. Once aware of this development, the government moved swiftly to stem the rebellion. A patrol consisting of four companies of the XIVth Sudanese Infantry, two sections of Mounted Infantry and two machine-gun sections, in all some 25 British, Egyptian and Sudanese officers and 400 men were despatched to the area.
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