8cm (3.25in) x 12cm (4.75in) x 9.9cm (3.75in)
Equine hoof adorned with silver plated shoe and mount with lidded compartment, the whole composed by master taxidermist Rowland Ward of 166 Piccadilly, London. The list of battles detailed suggest the ownership of a British officer on attachment to the Egyptian Army, possibly serving with the 10th Sudanese, who were present at every listed engagement and were regarded among the best of the Egyptian Army. The list further follows events from the withdrawal of British troops on the Egyptian frontier to Assouan in Lower Egypt in aftermath of the failed Gordon Relief Expedition in late 1885
Read more
‘Gemaiza’ (Gemaizeh) - 20 December 1888 - The Mahdist commander Osman Digna lost an arm during this bloody frontier engagement with the 2nd Sirdar of the Egyptian Army Sir Francis Grenfell (troops present - Artillery, one Egyptian battalion, two Sudanese bns, two British bns (Welsh and KOSB)., one squadron 20th Hussars).
‘Firket’ (Ferkeh) - 7 June 1896 - Kitchener’s first major offensive action of the River War. Ten Egyptian (Soudanese) battalions were present (with the Maxim battery of the Connaught Rangers and a battalion North Saffords) Mahdist forces were defeated in this the opening battle of the Dongola campaign.
‘Hafir’ - 19 September 1896 - A virtually bloodless affair for the 15,000 Anglo-Egyptian forces present, which principally involved Kitchener’s gunboat flotilla and opened the way to the capture of Dongola.
‘Abou Hamed’ - 7 August 1897 - No British Army rank and file were present at the Battle of Abu Hamed. A flying column of the Egyptian Army under (Sir Achibald) Hunter Pasha captured the strategic riverside town enabling the railway from Wadi Halfa to reach the Nile. Two British officers of 10th Sudanese were killed.
‘Atbara’ - 8 April 1898 - Anglo-Egyptian forces attacked the zariba of the Emir Mahmud in the opening move of the Nile Campaign. Significant casualties were sustained on the Anglo-Egyptian side and an important part of the Mahdist army was destroyed. Emir Mahmud was killed.
‘Omdurman’ - 2 September 1898 - Anglo Egyptian forces inflicted a massive defeat on the Mahdist army. Kitchener led the Nile gunboat flotilla into Khartoum for General Gordon’s Memorial Service on two days later. The Mahdi’s successor, Khalifa Abdullahi, escaped into the desert.
‘Sennaar’ - September 1898 - With the Khalifa at large, the need to settle the agriculturally important area of Gezira, south of Khartoum became urgent and on 19 September Archibald Hunter set out for Wad Medani and Sennar with the 10th Sudanese and two Maxims of the Royal Irish Fusiliers. Little resistance was encountered. A kinsman of Osman Digna and a number of his followers and together with other Mahdists surrendered.