French Tonkin Medal 1885

Tonkin Medal 1885. Unnamed as issued to the French Navy. Obverse: The head of La Republique wearing a winged helmet facing left with 'REPUBLIQUE' on the left and 'FRANÇAISE' to the right, all contained within a bound laurel wreath. The engravers name is at 5 o'clock under the bust. Reverse: The battle honours 'SONTAY', 'BAC-NINH', 'FOU-TCHEOU', 'FORMOSE', 'TUYEN-QUAN', 'PESCADORES' and 'CAU-GIAI' in the centre on seven lines surrounded by 'TONKIN CHINE ANNAM . 1883-1885 .' and a bound laurel wreath on the circumference. The medal is fitted with a loose ring suspender and a piece of 37 mm yellow ribbon with four 5 mm green stripes.

Instituted on 6 September 1885 and awarded to French army and navy personnel for operations in north-eastern Indochina, otherwise known as the Sino-French War. Two versions exist with different reverses, one for the army, and one for the navy. The army version carries six battle honours: 'SONTAY, BAC-NINH, FOU-TCHEOU, FORMOSE, TUYEN-QUAN, PESCADORES'. The navy version has an additional seventh honour 'CAU - GIAI'. The award of the medal was later extended to included operations that had taken place as late as 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.