China War Medal (1842)
Encyclopedia
The China War Medal was issued by the British Government in 1843 to members of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 and Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 who took part in the First Anglo-Chinese War
First Opium War
The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

 (1839–42). The medal was designed by William Wyon
William Wyon
William Wyon, RA , was official chief engraver at the Royal Mint from 1828 until his death. He was influenced by the master of relief sculpture, John Flaxman. Wyon was a highly visible proponent of the Neoclassicist vogue, and was elected to the Royal Academy in 1838.Wyon was born in Birmingham,...

.

Recipients

The China War Medal was originally intended by the Governor-General of India
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India was the head of the British administration in India, and later, after Indian independence, the representative of the monarch and de facto head of state. The office was created in 1773, with the title of Governor-General of the Presidency of Fort William...

, in October 1842, to be awarded exclusively to all ranks of the Honourable East India Company's Forces. Instead, in 1843, under the direction of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

, the British Government awarded it without clasp
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

 to all members of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...

 and Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...

 who had "served with distinction" between 5 July 1840 and 29 August 1842 in the following actions :
  • In the Canton River
    Pearl River (China)
    The Pearl River or less commonly, the "Guangdong River" or "Canton River" etc., , is an extensive river system in southern China. The name Pearl River is usually used as a catchment term to refer to the watersheds of the Xi Jiang , the Bei Jiang , and the Dong Jiang...

     operations of 1841.
  • At the first
    Capture of Chusan
    The first capture of Chusan by British forces in China occurred on 5–6 July 1840 during the First Opium War. The British captured Chusan, the largest island of an archipelago of that name.- Background :...

     and second capture of Chusan
    Capture of Chusan
    The first capture of Chusan by British forces in China occurred on 5–6 July 1840 during the First Opium War. The British captured Chusan, the largest island of an archipelago of that name.- Background :...

    , in 1840 and 1841.
  • At the battles of Amoy
    Battle of Amoy
    The Battle of Amoy was fought between British and Chinese forces in Amoy, China, on 26 August 1841, during the First Opium War. The British captured the forts in Amoy and Gulangyu Island.Description of the Battle...

    , Ningpo
    Battle of Ningpo
    The Battle of Ningpo was fought between British and Chinese forces in Ningpo, China, on 10 March 1842 during the First Opium War. After the British captured Chinhai on 10 October 1841, they captured the nearby city of Ningpo unopposed three days later...

    , Chinhai
    Battle of Chinhai
    The Battle of Chinhai was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chinhai, China, on 10 October 1841 during the First Opium War.- References :*Hall, William Hutcheon; Bernard, William Dallas . . Henry Colburn....

    , Tsekee
    Battle of Tsekee
    The Battle of Tsekee was fought between British and Chinese forces in Tsekee, China, on 15 March 1842 during the First Opium War.- References :* . Westminster: Printed by F. Watts....

    , Chapoo
    Battle of Chapoo
    The Battle of Chapoo was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chapoo, China, on 18 May 1842 during the First Opium War.- References :* . Westminster: Printed by F. Watts.*Rait, Robert S. . . Volume 1....

    , Woosung
    Battle of Woosung
    The Battle of Woosung was fought between British and Chinese forces in Woosung, China, on 16 June 1842 during the First Opium War. The British victory opened the way to Shanghai, which was captured with little resistance on 19 June.- References :...

    , in the Yangtze River
    Yangtze River
    The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...

    , and in the assault of Chinkiang
    Battle of Chinkiang
    The Battle of Chinkiang was fought between British and Chinese forces in Chinkiang, China, on 21 July 1842 during the First Opium War. It was the last major battle of the war. The British capture of this stronghold allowed them to proceed forward to Nanking....

    .


This campaign became known as the First Opium War, ending in the seizure of Nanking. The resultant treaty opened five ports to trade, and ceded Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...

 to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...

.

Description

The medal's obverse shows the diademed head of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....

 with the legend "VICTORIA REGINA". The reverse has the same coat of Royal Arms and shield found on both the First, Second
Second China War Medal
The Second China War Medal was issued by the British Government in 1861 to members of the British Army and Royal Navy who took part in the Second Opium War of 1856 to 1860 against China. The medal was designed by William Wyon....

 and Third China War Medal
China War Medal (1900)
The China War Medal 1900 was a British campaign medal approved in 1901 for issue to British and Imperial land and sea troops who fought during the Boxer Rebellion of 1900...

s with the inscription "ARMIS EXPOSCERE PACIM" and the word "CHINA" and the date "1842" in the exergue below. The First China War Medal's reverse was originally designed depicting the British lion devouring a Chinese dragon. However, this design was considered too insensitive to the Chinese and so the reverse described above was used. The non-swivelling suspender is plain and straight being sweated directly to the medal.

The medals were named in bold block capital letters with stars used to fill in the spaces as on the Waterloo Medal
Waterloo Medal
The Waterloo Medal was awarded to any soldier of the British Army who took part in one or more of the following battles: Battle of Ligny , Battle of Quatre Bras , and the Battle of Waterloo ....

. However, since new punches were used for this medal the naming appears somewhat sharper than on Waterloo Medal examples.

Those in receipt of this medal and who also qualified for the Second China War Medal
Second China War Medal
The Second China War Medal was issued by the British Government in 1861 to members of the British Army and Royal Navy who took part in the Second Opium War of 1856 to 1860 against China. The medal was designed by William Wyon....

 in 1861 were supposed to receive the clasp
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...

s awarded with the second medal only. These clasps were intended to be fixed to this medal but due to the difference in the width and style of the suspender it was not known how this was actually to be done. As a result the clasps were often simply slipped over the ribbon which was sometimes replaced with the narrower 32mm type supplied with the second medal. Other recipients of this medal removed the original suspender and replaced it with one similar to that found on the second medal.

External links

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