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Auction: 21003 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 40

The 3-clasp East and West Africa Medal awarded to Doctor R. J. D'Arcy Irvine, Niger Coast Protectorate, later Major, Royal Army Medical Corps

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 3 clasps, Benin River 1894, Benin 1897, 1899 (R. J. D'Arcy Irvine, M.D., Niger Coast Protectorate), top clasp with lugs clipped, very fine

Robert James D'Arcy Irvine was born in 1860 at Irvinestown, Ireland. He joined the Niger Coast Protectorate and served during the campaigns on the Benin River, 1894, Benin, 1897 and 1899 (Medal & 3 clasps). Irvine unsurprisingly gets a number of mentions in Nemo's notable work Niger Memories, which was penned by A. C. Douglas (Medal sold in these rooms November 2020). This work makes particular mention of the skill of his French and also in his political abilities. He gains further mentions in Robert Home's City of Blood Revisited - A new look at the Benin Expedition of 1897. On his part:

'The Medical Officer from Sapele was also to come and Dr D'Arcy Irvine had travelled from the Brass station to cover for him at Sepele while the expedition was away, having delayed taking his leave to oblige Phillips.'

Further is made of his good work as 'chief tormentor' whilst treating the various 'wounds and scratches' suffered by Boisragon and Locke that he treated, besides his participation in the latter 1899 Benin expedition, which marched off on 20 April 1899, with some 250 troops.

Irvine later served on the Aro expedition (Medal & clasp) and returned to the fold with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the Great War. He served on Gallipoli from 8 August 1915, having previously been afloat on the on the Hospital Ships Formosa & Llandovery Castle (1915 Star Trio). Having risen to the rank of Major during the Great War, Irvine died in June 1921 at Kensington, London; sold together with extracts including a group photograph which identifies Irvine.

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Sold for
£2,900

Starting price
£1200