Egypt Medal 1882-1889 : Acting Bombardier J D Kennedy, New South Wales Contingent

Egypt Medal 1882 -1889 with the bar 'SUAKIN 1885'. The recipient's number, rank, name and regiment are engraved on the edge. Obverse: The diademed and veiled head of Queen Victoria with the legend, 'VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX'. Reverse: The Sphinx on a pedestal with the word 'EGYPT' above. The exergue is blank . The medal is fitted with a straight swivel suspender and a single rectangular campaign bar. A piece of 32 mm ribbon that has three bright blue and two white stripes of equal width is attached to the suspender.

Awarded to John Dunn(e) Kennedy who was born at Geelong, Victoria in 1857. On enlistment in the NSW Artillery on 24 October 1881, he stated that he was a groom, aged 23 years 10 months, 5 feet 7.5 inches tall, with brown eyes, light brown hair, fresh complexion and his religion was Church of England. Kennedy was an acting bombardier in the Sudan Contingent. He was promoted bombardier in 1885, corporal in 1886, sergeant in 1889 and battery quartermaster in 1892.

As a corporal in the NSW Artillery, he married Annie Madden on 24 April, 1888, at the Registrar General's Office, Elizabeth Street, Sydney. He also served during the Boer War as a sergeant in 'A' Battery, Royal Australian Artillery and received the Queen's South Africa Medal. He was invalided back to Australia on 13 December 1900. Kennedy transferred to the Royal Australian Artillery in Queensland on 1 July 1903.

The Egypt Medal with the bar 'Suakin 1885' was granted to all troops who took part in the Sudan operations between 1 March to 14 May, 1885 and was the first occasion on which Australian units were sent overseas to serve with Imperial troops. 205 medals were awarded to the NSW Artillery. This medal is part of a collection assembled by the late Hon. Sir Thomas Hughes, Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. It was presented to the Memorial in memory of his son, Captain Roger Forrest Hughes, Australian Army Medical Corps, who died of wounds in France on 11 December 1916, and of his grandson, Flying Officer Peter Roger Forrest Hughes, 12 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, who was killed on active service while flying in the Northern Territory on 3 October 1942.