South Africa Medal for Zulu and Basuto Wars 1877-79 awarded to Private Francis FitzPatrick VC, 94th Regiment of Foot

Silver campaign medal with the diademed head of Queen Victoria on the obverse with the inscription, 'Victoria Regina'. On the reverse a male lion in front of a protea bush above a trophy of arms with a Zulu shield and four crossed spears, with the inscription, 'South Africa', above. The medal is suspended from a golden yellow ribbon with vertical blue stripes.

FitzPatrick won his Victoria Cross (VC) in the Sekukuni Campaign, rescuing a wounded officer. He was born in Clontibret, County Monaghan, Ireland, in 1859. He served in several campaigns in South Africa including the Zulu War (1879).

Fitzpatrick lost his original VC and South Africa Medal for Zulu and Basuto Wars 1877-79 in 1881 at Bronkhurstspruit during the Transvaal War (1880-1881), when he was wounded and taken prisoner. He applied for and received replacements for these medals which he wore with his original Queen's South Africa Medal in his civilian role. Acquired in 2018, these replacements and Fitzpatrick's original Queen's South Africa Medal are also in the National Army Museum Collection.

This medal was instituted in 1880 and was awarded to service personnel who participated in a number of campaigns in South Africa, including the Basuto Wars (1872-1878), the Griqualand West Rebellion (1878-1879),the Sekukuni Campaign (1878-1879) and, most notably, the Zulu War (1879).