Egypt Medal : Private W J McMillan, 1 Royal Highlands Regiment, The Black Watch

Egypt Medal 1882 -1889 with five bars 'KIRBEKAN', 'THE NILE 1884-85', 'EL-TEB - TAMAAI', 'SUAKIN 1884' and 'TEL-EL-KEBIR'. Engraved around the edge with recipient's details. Obverse: The diademed and veiled head of Queen Victoria with the legend, 'VICTORIA REGINA ET IMPERATRIX'. Reverse: The Sphinx on a pedestal with the word 'EGYPT' above. The exergue is blank . The medal is fitted with a straight swivel suspender and a single rectangular campaign bar. A piece of 32 mm ribbon which has three bright blue and two white stripes of equal width is attached to the suspender.

Associated with the service of Private 1034 William John McMillan, who was born on 6 August 1860 in Bethnal Green, London. In his early life, he worked as a boot maker before enlisting in the British Army.

McMillan attested at Westminster Parliament on 26 August 1880 at the age of 19 and was posted to 1 Battalion, the West York Regiment with the regimental number 2658. He spent a little over a year with the West Yorks during which time he obtained a Fourth Class certificate of education.

He transferred to 1 Battalion, Royal Highland Regiment 'The Black Watch', based at that time in Perth, Scotland early in 1882. His regimental number changed at this time to 1034. The battalion was sent to Egypt in August 1882 as part of the British Expeditionary Force sent to restore stability to the country and protect British interests in the region.

McMillan first went into action on 10 September when he was part of a relief column sent to assist British forces, who were under heavy attack at Kassassin. With the arrival of the relief column, the rebel forces were driven off. Three days later, McMillan was involved in the battle of Tel-El-Kebir where the Highland Brigade was at the forefront of a dawn assault on rebel positions. The Highlanders led a bayonet charge which all but routed the rebel forces.

He was posted to the Black Watch's Regimental Police, a position of high trust, for his good conduct and character. He remained with his battalion in Egypt following the end of hostilities there.

McMillan was involved with his Battalion in the Sudan Campaign fighting against Mahdist forces from 1884 to 1885. He took part in the battles of El-Teb and Tamai as well as the Nile campaign to attempt the relief of General Gordon's garrison in Khartoum. McMillan then took part in the battle of Abu Klea on 17 January 1885 and after Khartoum's fall to Mahdist forces, the battle of Kirbekan on 13 February. After this battle, British forces withdrew from Sudan and returned to Egypt.

In 1887, the battalion left Egypt for Malta. It was here that McMillan transferred from full time service to the reserve. His officers wrote him several references for civilian employment, with each officer stating that McMillan had been an excellent soldier and had been awarded two good conduct badges, the most available to be awarded for his period of service, The officers also stated that he was 'thoroughly honest, hardworking and intelligent and a perfectly sober man'.

McMillan had served over seven years in his full time service, five of which had been on overseas deployment. After returning to England, he ran his own business as an electrical gas and hot water engineer. He married and fathered 9 children, not all of whom survived into adulthood. One of his sons was killed during the First World War and another gassed.

McMillan returned to Scotland briefly in 1892 to take his full discharge from the Army as his 12 year service was up. His service in 1 Battalion, Royal Highland Regiment 'The Black Watch' ended on 25 August at the Battalion Depot in Perth.

He emigrated from England to Australia in 1921. He sailed with his wife and four surviving children from Tilbury in 1921, travelling in the ship Beltana. The family disembarked in Sydney and began their new life in Australia, settling in Drummoyne, NSW.

• Khedive's Star : Private W J McMillan, 1 Royal Highlands Regiment, The Black Watch