Full medal write up
DISTINGUISHED CONDUCT MEDAL, V.R. ‘CR. SGT. H. SHEPPARD: R. W. KENT R. (2ND SEPT: 1898)’, QUEEN’S SUDAN 1896-98 ‘1823 CL./SGT. H. SHEPPARD. E. A.’; QUEEN’S SOUTH AFRICA 1899-1902, 3 CLASPS, CAPE COLONY, TRANSVAAL, WITTEBERGEN ‘1823 SGT H. SHEPPARD, 2ND RL. W. KENT REGT’, KHEDIVE’S SUDAN 1896-1908, 4 CLASPS, SUDAN 1897, ABU HAMED, THE ATBARA, KHARTOUM ‘CR. SGT H. SHEPPARD, R. W. KENT. R.’
D.C.M. London Gazette 15 November 1898, awarded for the battles of Atbara and Omdurman, 8 April and 2 September 1898. – Egyptian Army, 1 of just 7 awards for service with the Egyptian Army from a total of 87 for the Sudan 1898-99
M.I.D. London Gazette 24 May 1898, for the battle of Atbara – 1 of 7 Egyptian Army NCO’s to be MID, additionally 6 British Army NCO’s.
M.I.D. London Gazette 30 September 1898 for the battle of Omdurman – 1 of 7 Egyptian Army/Staff NCO’s to be MID, additionally 51 British Army NCO’s.
M.I.D. London Gazette 10 September 1901. The Boer War
Henry Sheppard was born in Charlton, Kent, and attested for the Royal West Kent Regiment at Maidstone, in March 1887. He advanced to Sergeant in December 1890 and transferred to the Egyptian Army in October 1892. Sheppard served in Egypt December 1892 until February 1899 and after a brief spell at home, from September 1899 until March 1900. He was promoted Colour Sergeant in April 1895 and appears to have served with the Egyptian Army Maxim gun section. He took part in the Dongola Expedition of 1896 (Queen’s Sudan Medal), The Nile Expedition of 1897 (Sudan 1897 and Abu Hamed clasps) and the Nile Expedition of 1898 (Atbara, Khartoum clasps). All service and clasps confirmed in service papers.
He was present with Hunter’s Flying Column at the battle of Abu Hamed, 7 August 1897, where 3 Battalions of Sudanese Infantry, 1 Cavalry troop and an artillery battery, along with 4 machine guns, attacked the Mahdist held town of Abu Hamed. He was further present at the battles of Atbara, 8 April 1898 and the battle of Omdurman,2 September 1898, during which both battles, the maxim guns were heavily engaged. Sheppard would almost certainly have been involved in other smaller engagements during the Dongola and Nile expeditions. He was twice mentioned in despatches for his service during the Sudan Campaigns, for both the battles of Atbara and Omdurman; London Gazette 24 May 1898 and 30 September 1898. He was mentioned a third time on 15 November 1898, this being for the award of the D.C.M. Awards for both the latter battles are mixed up in this Gazette and since he was Mentioned for each battle, it is almost certain his award was for both:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anglo-Egyptian_conquest_of_Sudan
He reengaged with the 2nd Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment in February 1899 and served with the Battalion in South Africa during the Boer War between March 1900 and November 1902 (Queens and King’s South Africa Medals), being a third time mentioned in despatches, 10 September 1901. Serving in Ceylon from 5 November 1902, he was discharged at his own request on 1 August 1903, therefore not completing 21 years’ service and not being awarded the Long Service Medal.
Sheppard re-engaged for service during the Great War aged 52, in November 1914. He was posted as Colour Sergeant to the 9th Battalion, Royal West Kent Regiment in November 1914. He transferred to the 29th (Infantry Works) Battalion Middlesex Regiment in September 1916, and to the Labour Corps in June 1917. Sheppard was discharged due to ‘Old Age’, 20 October 1918. He served at home during the Great War and received no medals.
In addition to being a very scarce DCM for service with the Egyptian army and unique to the Royal West Kent’s, more than 2 clasps on the Khedives Sudan to a British soldier is very scarce. In addition, the Royal West Kent Regiment were not present during the Sudan campaigns 1896-9 and although it is possible the odd Officer or man served attached to other units, only Sheppard has been located.
Condition; light contact marks, suspension claw a little loose on 2nd., generally VF or better Ex Spink, 1984 and Glendining 1986.
A fine and rare group being 1 of just 7 DCM’s for service with the Egyptian Army from a total of 87 for the Sudan 1898-99.