South Africa Medal for Zulu and Basuto Wars 1877-79, awarded to Superintending Nursing Sister Joan Gray, Army Medical Service

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.

Gray was one of several nurses who served during the Zulu War (1879), the first conflict in which their services would be recognised by qualification for a campaign medal.

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).

From medal group including, Royal Red Cross, 1st Class, 1883, Egyptian Campaigns Medal 1882-89, Ashanti Star 1896, Queen's South Africa Medal 1899-1902, King's South Africa Medal 1901-02 and Khedive's Egyptian Star 1882-91.