Egypt Medal (1801)
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theEast India Company (EIC)
| Egypt Medal | |
|---|---|
 Obverse of the medal depicted on a cigarette card | |
| Type | Campaign medal |
| Awarded for | Campaign service |
| Presented by | the East India Company (EIC) |
| Eligibility | EIC and British forces |
| Campaign(s) | Egypt, 1801 |
| Established | 1802 (distributed from 1811) |
| Total | 16 gold and 2,200 silver medals |
 Suspension cord for the medal | |
The Egypt Medal is a campaign medal that was awarded by the Governor-General of India to members of the expeditionary force that travelled from India to take part in the 1801 Egyptian campaign, a part of the French Revolutionary Wars.[1]
The medal was awarded to the soldiers of the Major General Baird's division, comprising both East India Company (EIC) and British Army units, that sailed from Bombay to Egypt in March 1801 to take part in the campaign against the French.[2] After being present at the successful sieges of Cairo in June, and Alexandria in August and September, the division returned to India in early 1802.[3]
The medal was authorised in July 1802 by Marquess Wellesley, the Governor-General of India,[4] although the medals were only finally completed and distributed from 1811.[5][6] Troops from Bengal received the medal in gold for more senior officers (16 awarded) and in silver for other ranks (760 awarded), while all members of the Bombay contingent were issued with silver medals (1,439 awarded).[7]
Only those who sailed from India with General Baird's division were entitled to the medal,[8] including those who did not reach Egypt.[4] Others, including members of the 61st Foot who joined the division in Egypt, having travelled from the Cape of Good Hope, were ineligible.[7] Surviving British Army and Royal Navy Egypt veterans who had not received the earlier Egypt Medal were however eligible for either the Military or Naval General Service Medal with clasp Egypt when this clasp was authorised in 1850.[9]
