One day, when exploring Omdurman, I came across a rather smart-looking elderly gentleman standing on a street corner, and as our eyes met, for some reason I said in English "Sudan Defence Force", he immediately snapped to attention, saying "Bash Shawish Mohammed…Effendi Sah", as he saluted. I spent quite some time talking of past times to this wonderful old sergeant-major, who saw no contradiction in the fact that his grandfather fought against the British at the Battle of Karerri (Omdurman) and that he had himself later fought with the British. It is indeed hard not to like the Sudanese.
The period of the reconquest and pacification is a very fertile area for research. The officers and men involved were becoming better educated than their predecessors, and a surprising number left accounts of their time in the Sudan, which are deposited in archives all over the UK. There is, as one would expect, a treasure trove of records in the Khartoum Record Office and, whereas access to this particular archive is difficult though not impossible, there are quite comprehensive records held in the Sudan Archive at Durham University and the National Archives at Kew.
The medal groups in this collection are, in the majority, those awarded to officers of the British army who were seconded to the Egyptian army (EA) and come from a wide variety of regiments. All have research notes, which can vary from a few pages of text to large folders and even a couple of boxes of material. To have experience commanding units of the EA in the Sudan was, during the years of the reconquest, considered an advantageous stepping-stone towards moving on to greater things. However, post-1900, there seemed to be more of a desire to go there for the adventure of serving, and sometimes fighting, in an exotic country. However, the Sudan is a seductive mistress and many fell in love with the country and its people, staying on for long periods, even up to the end of their careers. Of course, the administrators of the Sudan Political Service (SPS) were the hand-picked crème de la crème.
For those interested in reading a history of the Sudan wars there have been many well-researched and quite comprehensive books published in the last few years. I found one of the most enjoyable to be 'A Good Dusting: The Sudan Campaigns 1883-1899' by the Herefordshire author Henry Keown-Boyd (1986). For those interested in brief biographies of all the British officers who took part on attachment to the EA, Keown-Boyd's 'Soldiers of the Nile 1882-1925' (1996) is the book to have. Keown-Boyd not only lived in the Sudan and has a great affinity with the country and its people, but he is the son of Sir Alexander Keown-Boyd (1884-1954), who was Reginald Wingate's private secretary. For a feel of what it was like to govern and administer that vast country, see 'Set Under Authority' by K.D.D. Henderson (1987), another fascinating and very enjoyable read.
In this catalogue I have given little detail about the actions leading up to the occupation of Khartoum, as they have been well covered in military histories written by far better scholars than me. I have, however, briefly summarised the story behind the later and less well-known pacification actions for which clasps were awarded. Hopefully I have done enough to excite the imagination about what it was like to serve in such a magnificent yet difficult country.
Finally, I must mention my wife Janet, who has always been my partner in assembling this collection. She has scoured the antique markets for Sudan-related ephemera, stoically put up with my disappearing down to the Sudan on odd occasions, and over the years become good friends with some of the old Sudani hands, as well as quite a few other medal collectors. Thank you Janet.
Allan J. Woodliffe Pontypridd April 2011
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