The East and West Africa Medal, established in 1892, was a campaign medal awarded for minor campaigns that took place in East and West Africa between 1887 and 1900. A total of twenty one clasps were issued. Awards of the medal covered punitive expeditions against local tribesmen, generally in response to attacks against Europeans or neighbouring tribes, or for operations to suppress slavery. Most medals were granted to personnel from either the Royal Navy, the West India Regiment or British led local forces, including locally recruited police. No units of the British Army were present, although a number of officers and non commissioned officers received the medal while seconded to local units. Recipients of the Benin 1897 clasp included three nursing sisters. The obverse bears a left-facing portrait of Queen Victoria with the inscription "VICTORIA REGINA". The reverse has an image ofBritish soldiers fighting Africans in dense jungle. The design, by Sir Edward Poynter, was also used on the reverses of the Ashantee Medal and the Central Africa Medal. The recipient's name, rank and unit appear on the rim of the medal, using a number of different impressed and engraved styles. The medal was issued in silver to officers and men of the British led forces. The medal with some clasps was also awarded in bronze to native porters. The wide ribbon is yellow with black edges and two black stripes towards the centre.
Clasps
A total of 21 clasps were awarded. Those who qualified for a second or subsequent clasp received the new clasp only to be attached to their existing medal. While the majority of recipients only qualified for one clasp, medals have been seen with as many as seven. Recipients of the earlier Ashantee Medal, awarded for the Ashantee War of 1873–74, who also qualified for the East and West Africa Medal were awarded the appropriate clasp only to attach to their existing Ashantee Medal.
Those who served in the Mwele campaign of 1895-96 on the Kenyan coast did not qualify for a clasp, but received the medal with the inscription "MWELE" and the dates "1895" or "1895-6" engraved on the rim, next to the claw of the medal. Clasps inscribed 1896-97 and 1896-99 were authorised, but never issued.
