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Auction: 24111 - Orders, Decorations and Medals - e-Auction
Lot: 93

An unusual Egypt and Sudan medal awarded to Private A. T. Street, 2nd Battalion, East Surrey Regiment, who survived nine days lost in the jungles of Chumar, India, in 1887 living on water and sleeping in trees

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, 1 clasp, Suakin 1885 (2027 Pte. A. T. Street. 2/E. Surr:R.), minor pitting, edge bruising, very fine

Albert Thomas Street was born at King's Head Square, Dorking, Surrey on 14 April 1852 the son of John and Mary Steet. Enlisting at Reigate, Surrey on 19 September 1880 he listed a false age, declaring himself to be 24 when he was in fact 27. Posted to the 31st Regiment of Foot he joined the Battalion at Dover the following year and later went with them to Egypt arriving in October 1881.

Here they were renamed the East Surrey Regiment, with Street being part of the 2nd Battalion. Embarking for Egypt on 10 September 1884 he landed at Abbassiyeh on 26 September before taking ship again and finally arriving at Suakin on 24 March 1885. The East Surreys saw action in the Battle of Hashin, where General Graham's expedition drove a force of Dervishes from the village of Hashin from which they threatened the route between the Red Sea and the Nile.

They were not part of the General McNeill's force which moved to Tofrek two days after the action at Hashin, fighting a more decisive engagement there. However, they did see action several days after the Battle of Tofrek on 26 March as the British attempted to clear their route to Osman Digna's headquarters at Tamaai.

Street joined the rest of the Regiment at Dover after the campaign, arriving there on 8 September 1885 but he did not stay for long, instead being posted back to India in January 1887. He had been serving there for several months when he was admitted to hospital at Chumar with the following medical report:

'Starvation. 9 days without food. Lost in Jungle. Lived on Water. The nails gone. Sores on hips from resting in trees.'

Surviving his ordeal Street remained in India, only returning to Britain on 19 October 1892 and being discharged the next month; sold together with copied census data and service records.

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Sold for
£130

Starting price
£130