Numismatic Notes Part 7

After the War was Over - Turkish Crimea Medal 1856-1862

Being a foreign Award, information relating to the entitlement and issue of the Turkish Crimea to British Forces appears to be somewhat lacking. The following notes collated from contemporary War Office and Foreign Office correspondence may be of further interest.

Queen Victoria's generosity in conferring the British Crimea Medal on all Allied Forces personnel prompted a similar rush of generosity from French, Sardinian and Turkish Heads of State - the Sultan of Turkey seemingly being the most open-handed, whilst his French and Sardinian counterparts were far less liberal in allocating Medals and Decorations to their Allies.

21.2.1856 - The Sultan of Turkey announced his intention to distribute a silver medal to the Troops of the Allied Armies serving or having served in the Crimea. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe, Ambassador to Constantinople, requested information from Sir William Codrington C in C, Sebastopol, as to numbers required and who will be entitled... "Officers or Men of Her Majesty's Army" ... Codrington replied ... "taking the 8th September 1855 as a limit ... the approximate number required would be 3,000 for Officers and 50,000 for Men. If claimants exceeded these numbers, a supplementary list must be sent to the Turkish Government." A number of War Office letters went back and forth in March, complaining of not being informed about the Medal and being ... "kept quite in the dark about the Sultan's intentions."

20.3.1856 - Lord Panmure, Secretary for War, directed Codrington in a Minute that any discussion on Turkish Decorations or Medals must be conducted through the Foreign Office, and some official communication should be made of the Sultan's intention, in order for the Queen's Pleasure to be taken on the subject and that Her Thanks may be expressed through proper channels. Panmure confirmed these directions a week later in no uncertain terms and requested Nominal Lists of the Officers and Men considered for the Award.

5.5.1856 Panmure confirmed the Sultan's intention to confer the Order of the Medjidie and also a silver Medal in the proportions stated: - Medjidie, 1st Class 3; 2nd Class 10; 3rd Class 40; 4th Class 70; 5th Class 900. Medals, Officers 3,000; Men 50,000. He also added that Her Majesty gratefully accepts the Decorations intended to be conferred on Her Troops by the Sultan.

14.6.1856 - Codrington to Panmure ... "Your Lordship is in possession of the Lists, which have already been sent home, both of Officers and Men, who have obtained the Crimea Medal; and the distribution of the Turkish Silver Medal to Officers, as well as other Medals for the Men might be regulated and checked by these lists."

1.11.1856 - G.A. Wetherall, Adjutant General to General Yorke, Military Secretary at H.Q. ... "After deducting from the number of Crimean Medals (British) issued those which have been delivered to the representatives of deceased Officers and Men, there remains a balance in numbers of 74,000 living of all ranks, who are entitled to receive the Turkish Silver Medal." This information and the numbers required was confirmed by the Foreign Office to Lord Stratford on 14.11.1856 and he reported from Constantinople that orders had been given to the Mint for striking the Medals.

26.12.1856 - Foreign Office to Lord Stratford ... "Ascertain if the Naval Brigade and Marines may share in the Turkish Decorations." Stratford replied on the 31st ... "apply for them and the Medals will be given by the Turks."

17.1.1857 - Lord Stratford reminds the Foreign Office that although 25,000 Medals have been obtained for the Land Forces including the Naval Brigade and the Royal Marines lately serving in the Crimea, the services of the Fleet on the coasts of the Peninsula have not been recognized. Admiral Lyons suggests that justice would be obtained by a distribution of Medals to the Officers and Men of the Royal Squadron ... the compliment however could hardly be accepted without a return [favour]. Should your Lordship approve of the idea ... I conceive that the number of Medals required for the Turkish Squadron might be fairly limited by their distribution among the Officers and Men of those Ships which took part in the bombardment of Sebastopol!

31.1.1857 - Foreign Office to War Office ... "What answer should be given?"

4.1.1857 War Office replied ... "Lord Panmure concurs in Lord Stratford's proposal that application be made to the Turkish Government for Medals and Decorations for Officers and Men of the Royal Squadron on the understanding that Medals be given to the Officers and Men of the Turkish Ships which took part in the Bombardment of Sebastopol. ... Request ... you authorize Lord Stratford to make application to the Turkish Government accordingly."

23.2.1857 Admiralty to War Office ... "Their Lordships are of the opinion that it will be right that the whole Naval Service should be taken together including the Officers and Men serving afloat, those employed on shore with the Naval Brigade and the Marine Batallion, which served in the Crimea. ... My Lords request that Lord Panmure will acquaint Lord Stratford that the whole number of Medals required for the Officers and Men employed will be 25,000 and of the number one ninth or 2,800 will be for Officers."

14.3.1857 - Lord Stratford to Foreign Office. This letter refers to his previous letter of 17.1.1857 regarding an honourable exchange - no reply has been noted and no further correspondence on this subject has been found for the remainder of 1857.

17.2.1858 - Lord Stratford to Foreign Office ... "The Ottoman Minister for Foreign Affairs informs me that 44,000 Turkish Medals are now ready at the Mint ... the remaining 50,000 Medals, which will complete the number required for the Army and Navy are being manufactured."

On 25.2.1858 the Earl of Derby formed his second Cabinet: Earl of Malmesbury - Foreign Secretary; General Peel - Secretary of War. Two days later Lord Stratford de Redcliffe resigned as Ambassador to Constantinople and was succeeded by Sir Henry Bulwer.

22.9.1858 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "Out of 74,000 Turkish Medals required for the British Army and Nave, only 47,000 are ready ... Instruct whether I am to accept this number or wait till the whole number is completed!!" Foreign Office replied on 18.10.1858 ... "send to England at first opportunity, by one of H.M. vessels, the 47,000 on account."

29.11.1858 - Mr Gasolani to Bulwer. The 47,000 Medals embarked on board the British Steamer 'Brenda' and were delivered to the War Office on 25th January in five boxes - one box with 10,000 Medals was collected by the Admiralty.

On 28.6.1859 Viscount Palmerston formed his 2nd Cabinet: Lord John Russell - Foreign Secretary; Sidney Herbert - Secretary of War.

30.6.1859 - War Office to Foreign Office ... "the estimated requirement for the Army is 74,000 and for the Navy 25,000 (together with 913 for the Late Turkish Contingent) totalling 99,913. Of this number 47,000 have been received, of which 37,000 have been allotted to the Army and 10,000 to the Navy and there remain due 37,000 to the Army, 15,000 to the Navy and 913 to the Turkish Contingent, a total of 52,913. ... it is requested that you will call the attention of H.M. Ambassador in Constantinople to the number of Medals, which are still required to complete the entire issue."

3.8.1859 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "the balance to complete the 74,000 Medals will be forwarded as soon as the necessary amount of silver can be obtained for the purpose" (refer to 22.9.1858 notes for similar). One week later Bulwer states ... "19,000 Medals are ready at the Mint - orders have been given for the remainder to be struck without delay."

8.11.1859 - War Office to Foreign Office ... "on 10th August it was further stated that 19,000 Medals are ready and we were led to believe that ... in less than one month's time the total number required would be ready for transmission. As none have yet been received ... if the entire are not yet ready, send as many as you can."

21.11.1859 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "22,000 Turkish Crimea Medals are now ready and will be forwarded to England at the first opportunity. The remainder are in course of preparation."

31.12.1859 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "waiting for the return of a Liverpool Steamer from Odessa to forward to London the 22,000 Turkish Medals, which have been ready for some time."

15.2.1860 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "22,000 Turkish Medals in five cases on board 'Pomona', bound for London."

16.3.1860 - Foreign Office to Bulwer ... "'Pomona' has foundered. Were the Turkish Medals insured?" Bulwer replied "The Turks sent the Medals - I fear they were not insured."

20.3.1860 - General Commanding Malta to War Office .. "'Pomona' foundered 5 miles off Gozo on morning of 22nd ultimo." C in C Malta stated ... "The 'Pomona' went down carrying with her the Captain and the greater part of her crew. ... in 80 to 90 fathoms of water ... and would preclude I believe any hope of raising her or recovering the cases of Medals."

29.5.1860 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "I have been informed that 20,000 Medals are completed - the remainder will be struck when the Mint can be put in possession of 400,000 Piastres - the sum necessary to complete the number in question."

3.7.1860 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ... "20,000 are to be forwarded by safest conveyance ... the Sultan ordered that the lost Medals in 'Pomona' should be replaced - But, owing to the embarrassed state of the Exchequer and the material time required for their manufacture, some time must elapse before they can be transmitted."


11.7.1860 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ..."I have today shipped on board the British Steamer 'Olymphus' four cases containing 18,000 Turkish Medals." (refer to number stated in note of 3.7.1860)

8.8.1860 Foreign Office to Bulwer ..."18,000 Turkish Medals received. Any of these intended for the Turkish Contingent, or will they receive a distinct Medal? (i.e. without the Arabic 'Crimea' on the obverse). The greater portion of the Force did not serve in the Crimea." The Foreign Office continued to pressure Bulwer regarding the Turkish Contingent for some time - "I want a direct answer to my enquiry about Medals for the Turkish Contingent." etc etc

14.8.1860 - Bulwer to Foreign Office ..."the 18,000 Medals are intended exclusively for the soldiers of the English Army, not for the Contingent. The Turks consider that the Contingent has already received the Medals due to it." A Foreign Office note of 25.8.1860 puts the Medals still owed by Turkey at 12,913, even after deducting the 22,000 lost in the 'Pomona', which the Sultan promised to replace - these figures are confirmed in FO 83/691.

At various times later in 1860, during 1861 and 1862 numerous communications were sent to the long suffering Sir H. Bulwer, which included variations on the foregoing text "and whether there is any prospect of these Medals, which have so long remained due to the British Army and Navy, being forwarded to this country at an early date."

The Turkish Contingent claim rattled on until suddenly, like an end to an Arabian Night's fairy tale, Bulwer stated to the Foreign Office on September 16th 1862 that "I have procured from the Sublime Porte and transmit herewith, 913 Turkish Medals required for distribution to the Late Turkish Contingent." - I think that was the end of the Turkish Crimea Medal operation - a 'delight' that had lasted about six years!

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t appears that British Crimean fatalities, including those who died of disease, were not eligible for the Turkish Medals (notes dated 1.11.1856 refer).

Does the shortfall, including the 'Pomona' loss totalling 35,000 Medals, explain why so many fresh groups lack the Turkish Award?

Did Hunt & Roskell and others manufacture Turkish Crimea Medals because Officers preferred a better quality piece? - I think not. - There was a serious shortage of these Awards and H&R supplied the demand. The shortage of 'British die' Turkish Medals on the market is almost certainly due to the 'Pomona' disaster.

I hope this article has answered a few queries - it has for me.