Orders, Decorations and Medals

China, War Lord Period, ‘Mutiny Cross 1922’, 43 x 43mm., silver cross, obv. with skull and crossbones, three arms inscribed with Chinese characters, the fourth dated ‘1922’, rev. crudely inscribed, ‘Mutiny/J. P. MacDermott/1922’, ribbon suspended from silver brooch bar, good very fine, rare £1200-1500

The details relating to this award are uncertain. In the absence of any firm evidence, it is tempting to link the award in some way to the major mutiny suffered in 1922 by the forces of Dr Sun Yat-sen (1st Provisional President of the Republic of China, 1912) who was then President of South China.

By 1918 Ch’en Chiung-ming had become the military leader of Fukien and Eastern Kwangtung Provinces. Occupying Canton in 1920 and taking over the governorship of Kwangtung, he was able to establish Sun Yat-sen as President of South China with his capital at Canton. On Sun’s behalf, Ch’en was able to expand his power into Kwansi Province but in 1922, when pressed by Sun to advance into Central China, in an attempt to unify the country, Ch’en rebelled and attacked and ousted Sun from Canton. Sun Yat-sen recovered the city later the same year but not without great difficulty.

It is possible the award was created by Europeans in Canton as a result of this upheaval and uncertainty.