572 WAR MEDALS IN THE ROYAL ARTILLERY INSTITUTION. 
first Afghan wars. First the “ Kelat-i-Ghilzai ” medal, with the motto 
“ Invicta” for the celebrated defence of that place by what is now 
the 12th Bengal Infantry (Kelat-i-Ghilzai Regiment). This is a very 
rare and valuable medal. Next three varieties of what is known as 
the “ Victoria Vindex ” series, because they bear that inscription in¬ 
stead of “ Victoria Regina,” and were awarded to the avenging armies 
of Generals Nott and Pollock advancing from Kandahar and 
Peshawur. (This latter was the first Artillery officer to command an 
Army). For those medals, clasps were not granted, and they are 
inscribed, “ Candahar-Ghuzni, Kabul,” “ Ghuzni-Cabul, and “ Canda- 
har/' according to the actions in which the recipient took part. The 
Institution has a duplicate of the “ Ghuzni-Cabul ” medal. The 
Afghan medals were all worn with the rainbow ribbon like that of 
the Star for Lord Roberts’ March, but wider. This by the way is not a 
rainbow ribbon, but represents the rising sun, and was designed by 
Lord Ellenborough, the then Governor-General of India, he of. the 
Gates of Somnauth* memory. The ribbon was known as the “Military 
ribbon of India,” and was also worn with the medals for Sir Charles 
Napier’s campaigns in Scinde, and the bronze star for Lord Gough’s 
Gwalior campaign in 1843. The next Indian medal was for the first 
Sikh War or Sutlej campaign in 1845, of which the Institution has no 
specimen, but the Panjab campaign of 1849 is represented by the 
medal with clasp for “ Goojerat.” 
The next group in the collection is that representing the decorations 
received by British officers or men for the Crimea, and consists of a 
Crimean medal with four clasps, “ Alma,” “ Balaclava,” “ Inkerman ” 
and “ Sebastopol,” a fine trophy, a Turkish medal as given to the 
British, and a Turkish medal as given to the Sardinians, an Order of 
the Medjidie of the 3rd class, and the handsome French medal for 
“ Valeur et discipline,” a distinguished conduct medal in some sort. 
The difference between the Turkish medals is ingenious. The die 
represents a trophy of the flags of the allies, British, French, Turks 
and Sardinians, the flag of the nation of the recipient being on the 
right of the Turkish flag. Thus the British received a medal with our 
flag on the right and so on, the Institution having the British and 
Sardinian ones. 
Some of our officers received the Sardinian War medal besides, so 
that fortunate individuals would wear six or seven decorations for that 
campaign. The Legion of Honour was also granted to some. 
The collection includes two specimens of the second Indian Medal 
(of 1854), that of the ribbon with red and blue stripes, first given for 
the second Burmese War in 1853. These two specimens have clasps 
“Persia” and “Burma, 1885-87.” There are no specimens of the 
Mutiny medal or of those of the last Afghan War. 
This second India medal ended after the “ Waziristan Expedition of 
1894-5,” with 21 clasps in all, and the third India medal was inaugurat¬ 
ed by the Chitral campaign and has already six clasps. 
* In 1842 the victorious British Army brought back from G-huzni to India the gates which were 
said to he those of the temple of Somnauth carried off by the Mohammedans 800 years before. 
Lord Ellenborough thought their restoration would he a gratifying and conciliatory act towards 
the Hindoos hut as a political measure it appears to have been of doubtful value, especially as the 
gates proved to be noLgenuine..—Secretary R.A.I. 
