$35.07
$51.91
Description Africa General Service Medal, EDVII, bar Somaliland 1902-4, Engineer Commander Edward James Campbell, Royal Navy, died in Hong Kong during 1911 and buried there. Officially impressed: “ENG. LIEUT. E.J. CAMPBELL. R.N. H.M.S. PERSEUS” Confirmed on the medal roll. His obituary in the Naval & Military Record, 6th December 1911 reads: “Engineer-Commander E. Campbell. News of the death of Engineer Commander Edward James Campbell, R.N. at the age of 41, was received on Monday by his widowed mother at Trematon terrace, Plymouth. He was serving in the cruiser Kent, and died at Hong Kong from the obstruction of a blood vessel in the brain. The son of Engineer James Campbell, he entered the Royal Naval Engineers College, Devonport, and passed out after 4 years training. He was credited with being a very efficient, smart officer, and had held the rank of Engineer Commander since January 1st 1908. He served in the Wallaroo, Niger, Perseus and Kent, and was shortly to have returned home from China on the completion of the Kent’s Commission.” At the time of his death HMS Kent had been stationed in China since 1906 and was shortly after due to return to England. Engineer Commander Edward James Campbell was born during 1870 in Southsea, Hampshire. The son of James and Sarah Elizabeth Shirley. His father James was a Scottish Engineer in the Royal Navy who had come to Hampshire with the Navy. He followed his father into the Engineering Branch of the Royal Navy, beginning his career as Probationary Assistant Engineer on HMS Camperdown as of 22nd July 1890. Channel Fleet HMS Wallaroo, 31st March 1891, Arrived in Sydney, Australia with the Squadron. Assistant Engineer, HMS Curacoa, 5th Nov 1891, Australia Station HMS Katoomba, 4th July 1892, Australia Station Joined HMS Egeria on 14th Jnuary 1897 as Engineer. Engineer, HMS Egeria, 1900. During this time the Egeria was under the command of Captain Pelham Aldrich, engaged in a survey around Australia. Notably during 1887 she called in at Christmas Island, and in 1899 she cruised the Union and Phoenix Islands to declare a British Protectorate over the region. This expedition raised a flag on Atafu, Hull, Phoenix and Sydney Islands, but encountered Americans on several other islands including Swains. Joseph Jackson Lister FRS a Professional Collector, was a volunteer Naturalist onboard the Egeria for her surveying voyages to Christmas Island. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Jackson_Lister_(naturalist) It was raised during 1890 in Hansard that during this time: “One petty officer and one seaman of the Egeria were tried for attempting to make a mutinous assembly and for wilful disobedience to orders, and were sentenced respectively to five years’ penal servitude and two years’ imprisonment. Five other seamen were tried for disobedience, and sentenced to punishments varying from one year to six months’ imprisonment.” HMS Hyacinth at HM Dockyard, Keyham, 1901. On 18th January 1905, he was brought up for an Enquiry on HMS Fox regarding boilers fitted on HMS Perseus, around the time he earned this medal, as Engineer Lieut he was cautioned for this. During 1907 he was Engineer Lieut on HMS Tenedos. Becoming Engineer Commander of HMS Kent as of 2nd April 1911. He died on 29th November 1911 at the Naval Hospital, Hong Kong, China. He is now buried in Hong Kong Cemetery, Happy Valley, Hong Kong Island. His handsome grave can be viewed here: https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/33705097/edward-james-campbell
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