Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A very rare ‘casualty’ Tibet Medal awarded to Lance-Corporal H. Prentice, Royal Fusiliers, who was wounded in action during the storming of Gyantse Jong 6 July 1904, one of just three British soldiers wounded in action during the campaign

Tibet 1903-04, 1 clasp, Gyantse (7931 LCpl. H. Prentice 1st. Bn. Ryl. Fuslrs.) good very fine and a rare casualty £1,400-£1,800

During the Tibet Expedition, the bulk of the casualties (202) were to Native units. Several British Officers were killed and wounded but no British NCO’s or men were killed. However, three were wounded - all three, including Prentice, being so at the Gyantse Yong on 6 July 1904. A further eight were injured in the explosion at Gyantse the following day.

Henry Prentice, an 18 year old Greengrocer’s Assistant from Lambeth, London, enlisted into the Royal Fusiliers on 12 March 1900, having previously served for three years with the 3rd (Militia) Battalion, Royal West Surrey Regiment. He served in South Africa with the 4th Battalion’s Mounted Infantry Company from 16 March 1901 until 21 October 1902 (Queen’s South Africa Medal and 5 clasps). Promoted Lance Corporal on 19 February 1903, he further served with the 1st Battalion, Royal Fusiliers during the Tibet expedition of 1904, during which he was wounded in action during the assault on the fortress at Gyantse Yong on 6 July 1904.

Reverting to Private on 10 August 1905, Prentice was awarded a gratuity for service with the Tibet Mission escort and transferred to the Army Reserve on 11 March 1908. His service papers note him having passed the Mounted Infantry course on 16 March 1901 and Mounted Infantry (maxim gun) course on 1 January 1907, and confirms service during the Boer War 1901-02 and on the Sikkim-Tibet Expedition 1904; present at the action of Niani (28 June 1904); operations at and around Gyantse; and the march to Lhassa. They also confirm he was wounded in the scalp at Gyantse Yong on 6 July 1904.