South Africa Medal for Zulu and Basuto Wars 1877-79, with clasp, '1879', awarded to Colour Sergeant H Maistre, 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 with a clasp, '1879'.

Henry Maistre born in Jersey and trained as a clerk. He enlisted at the age of twenty at Dover on 24 December 1868. He is first recorded as a Private with the 94th Regiment of Foot. Maistre was tried, convicted and imprisoned for desertion in September 1869. Despite this episode, in 1872 he was promoted to a Corporal,1874 a Sergeant and in 1880 a Quartermaster Sergeant. He saw service in South Africa between 1879 and 1882 and received the Distinguished Conduct Medal for bringing the colours out of action at Bronkhorst Spruit on 20 December 1880, Transvaal War (1880-1881). He was discharged on 9 July 1890 as medically unfit for further service.

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).