HONG KONG PLAGUE MEDAL 1894 TO PRIVATE E. JONES, S.L.I.

The role of the King's Shropshire Light Infantry during the Hong Kong Plague of 1894 Plague is documented by the Soldiers of Shropshire Museum:

'Those responsible for conducting house inspections, as well as disinfecting them, became known as the Whitewash Brigade – and this is where the KSLI came into action. Due to being stationed out in Hong Kong at the time of the outbreak, K.S.L.I. volunteers sprang into action to begin supressing the disease.

Amongst other things, the K.S.L.I. were responsible for spraying/fumigating houses, whitewashing walls with lime and even clearing corpses out of houses. Those having their houses inspected would be given clean clothes and their own clothes would be sent to a disinfecting station.

An article from the 1939 Hong Kong Press wrote that although the job of the K.S.L.I. was "gruesome", it was "not altogether unpopular with the soldiers. Military discipline of the Barrack Square had to disappear and with a generous rum ration, given with a view to warding off infection, they carried out their strange duties with the utmost cheerfulness".'