India General Service Medal 1854-1895 : Assistant Engineer W L Robinson, HMS Hermes

India General Service Medal 1854-1895 with the clasp 'PEGU'. The recipient's name, rank and ship are impressed on the edge. Obverse: The diademed head of Queen Victoria and the legend 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: The winged and standing figure of Victory, who is crowning a seated warrior. In the exergue is a lotus flower and four leaves denoting the connection with India. The medal is fitted with a floreated swivelling suspender and a single rectangular bar that has rosettes in the lower corners. A piece of 32 mm red ribbon with two dark blue stripes is attached to the suspender.

Awarded to Assistant Engineer W L Robinson who served in HMS Hermes, a wooden paddle sloop launched in 1835. The 'PEGU' bar was issued to all officers and men of the Army, Royal Navy, Bengal Marine and Indian Marine that were part of an expeditionary force to stop attacks on shipping around the Province of Pegu in Burma between 28 March 1852 and 30 June 1853. The Governor-General of India approved the proposal, on 1 March 1854, that to avoid unnecessary multiplication of medals, additional service in India would be represented by further bars to this medal. A total of 24 different campaign bars were issued up to 1895. This medal is part of a collection assembled by the late Hon. Sir Thomas Hughes, Member of the Legislative Council of New South Wales. It was presented to the Memorial in memory of his son, Captain Roger Forrest Hughes, Australian Army Medical Corps, who died of wounds in France on 11 December 1916 and his grandson, Flying Officer Peter Roger Forrest Hughes, 12 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force, who was killed on active service while flying in the Northern Territory on 3 October 1942.