Bidspirit auction | An Africa General Service Medal

An Africa General Service Medal 1902 with clasp Somaliland 1908-10 to a casualty of the Royal Marines Light Infantry. The medal named to: PO 10287 Lce Cpl A Kenny RMLI HMS Prosperine. Alfred Kenny was born on 21 February 1880 at Shadwell, London. He enlisted in the RMLI (Portsmouth Division) on 24 March 1899 and served on a number of Royal Navy ships before joining HMS Prosperine on 20 September 1908. He had been promoted to the rank of Lance Corporal on 19 August 1908 and was promoted to Corporal on 1 August 1909. His record of service shows that he was ‘Discharged Dead’ (DD) from HMS Prosperine on 9 June 1910, although the cause of death is not recorded. HMS Proserpine, launched in 1896, was a Pelorus-class cruiser of the Royal Navy, of which there were eleven of the so-called ‘protected cruisers’ in the class. Well- armed for their size, they were primarily workhorses for the overseas fleet on ‘policing’ duties and did not serve with the main battle fleet. They displaced 2,135 tons, had a crew complement of 224 men and were armed with eight QF 4 inch guns, eight 3 pounder guns, three machine guns, and two 18 inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes. With reciprocating triple expansion engines and a variety of boilers, the top speed was 20 knots (37 km/h). She was deployed to the East Indies station from 1904-1912 and was employed in the blockade of the Somali coast in support of the land operations from 1908-1910. With copy of his record of service, confirming his death whilst serving aboard HMS Prosperine. Extremely Fine (EF).