AN EXTREMELY SCARCE ASHANTEE AND SOUTH AFRICA 1879 TO A ROYAL MARINE WHO WAS ONE OF JUST 15 MARINES LANDED AS PART OF H.M.S. TENEDO’S 57 STRONG NAVAL BRIGADE DURING THE ZULU WAR

ASHANTEE 1873, NO CLASP ‘T. CHARD. PTE R.M. H.M.S. ARGUS. 73-74’, SOUTH AFRICA 1877-9, CLASP 1879 ‘ “TENEDOS” T. CHARD. PTE R.M. H.M.S.’

Thomas Chard, Royal Marines, served aboard H.M.S. Argus during the Ashantee campaign of 1873-4 and aboard H.M.S. Tenedos during the Zulu War of 1879. During the latter, Chard was one of 15 Marines landed as part of Tenedo’s 57 strong naval brigade.

Tenedos arrived at Durban In December 1878 and landed a Naval Brigade, whilst the ship was ordered to the estuary of Tugela River determine a suitable spot for landing troops and supplies on the northern Zulu bank of the river. The ships Naval Brigade was left to guard Fort Tenedos when the rest of the Naval Brigade advanced to Eshowe with Pearson in January 1879. Tenedos’s Naval Brigade re-embarked in May 1879 and Tenedos was sent back to the Britain for repairs.

Just 57 1879 clasped medals issued H.M.S. Tenedos (15 to Royal Marines.), which is the lowest number of clasps issued to any of the ships Naval Contingent that served during the campaigns of 1877-9; H.M.S. Active: 226, Boadicea: 227, Forester: 76 and Shah: 394.

Condition GVF, minor contact wear. SA with original ribbon, Ashantee missing its. Medals have been in the same collection since purchased in 1993; auction ticket still attached to SA.

An extremely scarce pair to a Royal Marine.