Egypt & Sudan Medal 1882-89 Medal, 1882 dated reverse to Sapper William George Snelling, 'C' (Telegraph) Troop, Royal Engineers ( of Canadian interest)

Egypt & Sudan Medal 1882-89 Medal, dated reverse, no clasp correctly engraved to 11874 Sapr. W. G. Snelling, C. Tp. R.E. ('C' (Telegraph) Troop, Royal Engineers). Medal in GVF condition with original ribbon (stitched and grubby).

It will be supplied with a copy of medal roll confirming medal and also a newspaper obituary for him dated 18th April 1941 which appeared in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette, which reads as follows:

"Mr. W. G. Snelling, Exmouth.
The funeral has taken place at Littleham Churchyard. Exmouth, of Mr. William George Snelling, who passed away at the home of his daughter, " Alberta”, Exeter Road, Exmouth, at the age of 82 years. Deceased was born in Halifax Nova Scotia, but came to this country when a boy, and joined the Civil Service as a telegraphist. During the Egyptian War he was with the Royal Engineers. Returning to England he was employed at Plymouth General Post Office, and subsequently became Postmaster at Kingsbridge until his retirement about 24 years ago, since when he had resided at Exmouth, where he made many friends.

The burial service was conducted by Rev. L. Haley, minister of Glenorchy Congregational Church. The immediate mourners were: Mr. and Mrs. A. White (son-in-law and daughter). Mr. P. White (grandson), Mr. and Mrs. L. White, of Pinhoe (grandson and granddaughter); Miss J. White (granddaughter); Mrs. A. Snelling, of Plymouth, (sister-in-law): Mr. D. White (nephew, Miss C. White (niece), Mr. and Mrs. T. Atkinson, Nurse R. Goodman, Mr. and Mrs N. Dart, Mrs. E. Willis, and Mr. A. Hunt. Capt. A. A. Snelling (brother), Mr. and Mrs. A. Lear (nephew and niece), of Plymouth; Driver L. White. R.A.S.C. (grandson), and Mr. A. B. Dart. R.A.F., were prevented from attending. There were numerous floral, tributes.

C Telegraph Troop first saw active service in the Zulu War of 1879. In the Egyptian campaign of 1882 the unit laid cable in no-mans land to guide advancing British troops and later sent the first victory signal ever to come direct from a battlefield.

In the Egyptian War of 1882, the troops were landed at Ismailiyah and the telegraph company was able to make use of the railway wire up to a point within a few kilometres of Tel-el-Kebir station, where the Egyptians held an entrenched position. The company completed its assignment simultaneously with the attacking force by laying cable at night along the railway line, a task it completed at a rate of 10km an hour, some of it under shellfire. After establishing a field telegraph station in a saloon carriage at the now-captured railway station, the company was able to make immediate connection directly to Ismailiyah, and hence to London via submarine cable, to announce the success of the campaign to the Queen and the War Office. The dispatches ‘were sent off at 0830 hrs and at 0915 we received Her Majesty’s reply’. This direct and rapid communication from a campaign headquarters abroad to the War Office in Whitehall was unprecedented, and served to establish telegraph communication as a vital part of future military operations (Source: History of Telegraphy, Ken Beauchamp (2001), IET. p121).

It has also resulted in a massive breach of protocol! Queen Victoria, instead of sending her congratulations via the War Office, as protocol required, had sent her personal message of congratulations directly to Sir Garnet Wolseley. The complaint that followed from the War Office to Windsor resulted in a direct rebuke from the Queen to the effect that she could write to her generals how and when she chose.
(Source: The Devonshires: the Story of a Family and a Nation, by Roy Hattersley (2013), Random House (p.378))

Code: 54457