The Durham Division Mounted Infantry in Egypt was commanded by Lieutenant de Lisle, and consisted of Sergeant A.M. Stuart and 29 men, most of whom are listed on the Medal Roll for the Egypt Medal held in the National Archives [WO 100/67]:
- Corporal C. Benn
- Private O. Beynon
- Private Jim Birley
- Private G. Cleghorne
- Private C. Cragg
- Private J. Doherty
- Private E. Drew
- Private J. Eaton
- Private J. Emmett
- Private W. Fuller
- Private H. Garman
- Private Glover
- Private J. Greenwood
- Private J. Hammond
- Private H. Harrison
- Private F. Howgate
- Private J. Johnson
- Private H.A. Kenning
- Private C. Kinghorne
- Private T. Marshall
- Private E. McCormeck
- Corporal A. Murray
- Private C.T. Smith
- Private J. Smith
- Private J. Steele
- Private A. Taylor
- Private W. Taylor
- Private E. Tucker
- Private R. Young (alias R. Harris)
The ‘Record of Services of the Durham Light Infantry’ (2nd Battalion) [D/DLI 2/2/135] records that these men joined the Mounted Infantry from The Royal Highlanders, The Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry and The Oxfordshire Light Infantry to form one company.
In September 1885 they proceeded up the Nile to Aswan, then on to Wadi Halfa, Akasheh and Firket, where they joined the rest of the 2nd Battalion and took part in the Battle of Ginnis. The Mounted Infantry then ‘followed the flying enemy as far as Amri, carrying several villages at the point of the bayonet, and making short work of the refugees they found in hiding.’
This group of Mounted Infantry were the men who found Jimmy Durham. Having captured the boat on which he was found, they ‘set out in pursuit of the retreating Arabs, but made no captures of any importance.’ They returned to Akasheh, then Kosheh, with the rest of the 2nd Battalion in Egypt.