Hong Kong Plague Medal 1894

Awarded to Captain G H I Buchanon, King's (Shropshire Light Infantry), 1894.

Gold, circular medal designed by Frank Boucher (1864-1938) and made by Allan Wyon (1843-1907), with a vignette showing a nurse tending a plague victim while another figure holds off the figure of Death wearing a cloak and holding an arrow; on the left are the Chinese characters spelling 'Hong Kong'; on the reverse is a central inscription, 'For Services Rendered During the Plague of 1894', surrounded by the inscription, 'Presented by the Hong Kong Community'.

This medal was given by the Hong Kong Community to 300 men of the King's (Shropshire Light Infantry) and to a small number of Royal Engineers, Royal Navy, police, nurses and civilian personnel who assisted during the outbreak of bubonic plague which lasted from 5 May to 3 September 1894. Medals were issued in gold to officers, nursing sisters and certain civilian officials and in silver to other ranks. They were not permitted to be worn in uniform.