GORDON HIGHLANDERS EGYPT MEDAL (1882 – 89) 2 CLASPS PTE HARMER 75TH FOOT PRE WW1

Offered is a Egypt Medal (1882 – 1889) with 2 clasps THE NILE 1884 – 85, EL -TEB – TAMAAI, period engraved named 1330 PTE W.H. HARMER. 1/GORD HIGHRS. Comes with copies service papers, medal rolls & Chelsea Pension roll.

William Harmer was born in 1844 at St Pancras, Chichester. A agricultural labourer by trade he enlisted at Aldershot for 10 years on the 23/12/1864 with the 75th Foot (Stirlingshire which became the Gordon Highlanders 1881). Whilst he stated that he was had no previous military service it was later found that he has a serving member of the Royal Sussex Militia with 5 years’ service owing!

He saw quite a bit of the Empire serving: Home: 23/12/1864 – 19/4/67. Gibraltar 20/4/67 – 6/10/68. Hong Kong 7/10/68 – 18/2/69. Singapore 19/2/69 – 10/3/71. China 11/3/71 – 27/8/71. South Africa 28/8/71 – 11/4/75. Re-signed for a further 10 years 2/12/1871 at Natal, South Africa. Home 12/4/75 – 2/11/81. Egypt 3/11/81 – 17/2/84. Eastern Sudan 18/2/84 – 31/3/84. Egypt 1/4/84 – 5/11/84. Upper Egypt 6/11/84 – 30/6/85. Egypt 1/7/85 – 16/12/85. Home 17/12/85 – 2/3/86. Discharged at Gosport after serving 21 years. Imprisoned 11/2/1872 – 11/3/1872 (AWOL) & 25/5/72 – 17/6/72 (Drunk on piquet).

Whilst his service papers state he is entitled to the clasp Suakin 1884 (19 February – 26 March 1884), the medal rolls do not reflect this. He is also entitled to the Khedives Star.