South Africa Medal 1877-79

Awarded to William Warrington Hewett RN (1861-1903). Obverse: Head of Queen Victoria with a diadem, hair tied in a knot (left) Legend: 'VICTORIA REGINA'. Reverse: a lion crouching to drink, a bush behind. Exergue: A Zulu ox-hide shield crossed with four assegais. Legend: 'SOUTH AFRICA'. Fitted with a cusped bar and buff ribbon with two broad blue stripes near the edge and two narrow inner ones. Bar: '1879'. Inscription on edge: 'W.W.HEWETT, MIDSN. R.N, H.M.S. 'BOADICEA".

Captain William Warrington Hewett RN (1861-1903). The son of Vice-Admiral Sir William Nathan Wrighte Hewett VC, he was born in Surbiton, Surrey. Hewett entered the Royal Navy as a 'Britannia' cadet on 15 January 1874. He reached the rank of midshipman in ‘Hercules’ – the flagship of the Mediterranean fleet, during 1876 and then moved to ‘Black Prince’ still in the Mediterranean. During the Zulu War, he served in the naval brigade of ‘Boadicea’. This formed part of a British force, under Frederick Thesiger, Lord Chelmsford which crossed into Zululand, beat off a Zulu attack on their encampment and went on to relieve British troops besieged at Eshowe. He was promoted Sub Lieutenant on 18 April 1880 and served in the royal Yacht ‘Victoria and Albert’ from 26 June to 16 September 1882. During this time, she served as guardship at Cowes while the Queen Victoria was on holiday at Osborne on the Isle of Wight. On 12 September 1882 he was promoted Lieutenant. During the early 1880’s he undertook further gunnery training in ‘Excellent’ and ‘Cambridge’. During 1886-87 he was in ‘Minotaur’ - flagship of the Channel Squadron during Queen Victoria’s golden jubilee fleet review and in ’Imperieuse’ on the China Station from 1888-1891. He was back in ‘Victoria and Albert’ from 1891-1893, being promoted to the rank of commander in the latter year and to captain on 20 June 1899. After a spell in ‘Victorious’ in the Mediterranean and China station from 1897-99, the end of his career was uneventful. He died on half pay at Portsmouth.