China War Medal 1842 – First Opium War Campaign Medal

The China War Medal 1842 was awarded to British and Indian forces who participated in the First Opium War of 1839–1842, including the military operations of 1841 and 1842 that culminated in the capture of Chinkiang and the advance towards Nanking.

Originally proposed by Lord Ellenborough, Governor-General of India, the medal was officially sanctioned by the British Government in 1843, following correspondence from Lord Stanley, Secretary of State for War and the Colonies.

The medal recognised service in a series of significant military engagements and naval operations during the campaign.

Qualifying Operations

The authorised operations included:

• Operations in the Canton River during 1841

• Operations at Chusan in 1841 and 1842

• Amoy

• Ningpo

• Chinpae (Chinhai)

• Tsekee

• Chapoo

• River Woosung

• Yangtze Kiang

• Assault on Ching-Kiang-Foo

The campaign concluded with the Treaty of Nanking in August 1842.

Historical Significance

The China War Medal 1842 commemorates service during the First Opium War, a conflict that had a lasting impact on relations between Britain and China.

Today, the medal is of particular interest to military historians, collectors of British campaign medals and those researching nineteenth-century British and Indian military service.