Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A Great War M.B.E. group of five awarded to Mr Henry A. Harrington, Director of Posts at Alexandria, Egypt, late Sergeant, 3rd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps

The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, breast badge, hallmarks for London 1918; Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, dated reverse, 2 clasps, Tel-El-Kebir, The Nile 1884-85 (2288. Lce. Cpl. H. A. Harrington, 3/K.R. Rif: C.); Ottoman Empire, Order of the Medjidieh, Fifth Class breast badge, silver, gold and enamel, with mint mark to reverse; Egypt, Kingdom, Order of the Nile, Fourth Class breast badge, silver, silver-gilt and enamel, with rosette on riband; Khedive’s Star, dated 1882, unnamed as issued, good very fine (5) £1,500-£2,000

Only 4 Egypt medals issued to 3/K.R. Rif. C. with this combination of clasps.

M.B.E. London Gazette 30 March 1920:
‘For services in connection with the war - Henry Augustus Harrington, Esq., Postmaster, Alexandria.’

Order of the Nile, 4th Class London Gazette 29 December 1916: ‘Director of Post Office, Alexandria.’
Henry Augustus Harrington was born at the Rifle Depot, Winchester, on 3 April 1864, where his father was serving as a Colour-Sergeant in 3/60th King’s Royal Rifles. Henry enlisted in his father's regiment as a boy recruit in February 1879 and, as per regimental musters, 'Lad W. H. Harrington' was embarked for South Africa in February 1880.

At the onset of the First Anglo-Boer War, it is likely young Henry was kept back at the battalion's base at Newcastle. In December 1881, he was appointed to the Mounted Infantry of 3/60th Royal Rifles, the regiment being retitled the King's Royal Rifle Corps in the same year.
He was embarked for Alexandria in July 1882, ande was present in the actions at Magfar and Kassassin, and at battle of Tel-el-Kebir (Medal & Clasp; Khedive's Star). Promoted to Lance-Corporal in April 1883, Harrington was next detailed to serve as Postmaster for the Army of Occupation at Cairo, and he remained similarly employed until June 1884; he was detached for duty in the South Staffordshire and Essex Regiments in the same period. During the Nile operations he was detached for duty on the staff as Postmaster at Dongola (Clasp). He served in the Egyptian Postal Service from 1883 to 1916.

Postal Arrangements in Sudan in 1884
The trained staff available for postal service consisted of the Chevalier Santoni, nine Egyptian employees, and three or four British non-commissioned officers [one of whom was Sergeant Harrington] who had worked at the Post Office at Cairo. These men were reserved for the three principal Post Offices [Sergeant Harrington was to serve on the staff at Dongola as Postmaster during the 1884-85 Sudan Campaign], the intermediate offices being served for the most part by convalescent soldiers.

Mails were made up at Cairo for battalions and corps on information telegraphed to the Commandant of the base. A parcels post was established under the superintendence of the Commandant of the base. The mails were carried from Cairo to Assiut by railway; Assiut to Assuan by steamers; Assuan to Philae by railway; Philae to Halfa by steamers; Halfa to Sarras by railway, Sarras to Abu Fatmeh by camel; and Abu Fatmeh to the south by camel.

Separate contracts were made for the carriage of letters, parcels, and newspapers, by camel; three camels sufficed as a rule for the letters, and ten for the parcels, &c. Local posts were also organised by the military authorities on the Line of Communications; the means of transport being almost entirely camels, sometimes hired, but generally government property. The post riders were either natives or Egyptian soldiers.

Regular post offices were opened at Dongola [where Harrington was appointed postmaster] and Korti and also a transit office on board the Lotus, by the Egyptian postal authorities, in which a complete postal service was established, letters could be registered and money orders obtained. (History of the Sudan Campaign, Vol. 1 p. 86 refers).

On 1 November 1885, Harrington reverted to Regimental Duty, from pay with the 2nd Essex Regiment at Assuan, and, on 1 January 1886, he purchased his discharge in Egypt to accept an offer from the Egyptian authorities of a position in the Post Office. And there he remained happily employed for many years, rising to the office of Local Director of Posts at Alexandria.

During the Great War he showed 'a general interest in the welfare of British troops' and undertook canteen work. He was awarded the M.B.E. and appointed an Officer of the Egyptian Order of the Nile (London Gazette 29 December 1916, refers); his Order of Medjidieh was likely awarded in the same period but was not gazetted.

Henry Harrington died at Walton-on-Thames on 4 November 1948.

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