Description
Africa General Service Medal, EDVII, bar Gambia, 2059 Pte E. Skellier, 3rd West India Regiment. For the 1901 Gambia Expedition.
Officially impressed: “2059 Pte E. Skellier. 3rd W. India Regt.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
In The Gambia during 1900, whilst the Ashanti War was ongoing east of them in Ghana, the local Chiefs of Gambia refused to acknowledge the colonial rule of Britain and told their people that they were now in charge.
During this time in June 1900, two travelling British Commissioners, named Silva and Sitwell were in the area along with an armed escort of 6 constables, they were murdered south of the River Gambia at a village called Sandandi (Sankandi in the Kiang district). The murderers were known to come from Dumbutu.
Once the British heard of the murder, an expedition was authorised under the command of Lieutenant Colonel H.E. Brake who brought with him:
4 Companies of the 2nd Central Africa Regiment and 4 Companies of the 3rd West India Regiment, including Pte Skellier, in total about 802 men.
The men from the 3rd WIR were brought over from Sierra Leone, and the 2nd CAR from British Somaliland, Gambia only had a small armed force of about 100 men, and little assistance was offered as most of the soldiers in the region were distracted by the Ashanti War.
3 Ships from the Royal Navy were brought in to assist in the landing of the troops, the Thrush, Forte and Dwarf.
The expedition was titled the “Gambia Field Force”, they were swiftly assembled off Bathurst on the 10th January 1901 in order to catch the murderers by surprise.
At dusk, 2 Companies from the West India Regiment were landed at Vitang Creek in order to stop any escape to the north bank, meanwhile the main force was disembarked at Dawn in Tendaba.
The men went on an 8 mile march up to Dumbutu, the force being led there by a man called “Lan Sanyeng” who was the son of one those who were murdered with the commissioners.
The troops would arrive at Dumbutu by noon and thanks to the surprise they were not ready, even though the defenders opened heavy fire on the force, the town with its stockade was captured, with 2 Rebel Headmen and 60 followers being killed with another 200 captured.
The resistance was now over, and the British then joined forces with the nearby Colonial French to take on Fodeh Cabbah, who was found in a French town called Madina. Chief Fodeh Cabbah had been a thorn in the side of the region for over a decade, the East and West Africa Medal with clasp “1891-2” was awarded for an expedition against him 10 years earlier.
Thanks to the assistance of the French, on the 23rd March 1901 the French launched a 3 hour bombardment with 80mm guns which breached the mud walls and stormed the town.
They killed Fodeh Cabbah and 150 of his men.
The campaign was ended with Britain and France regaining control of Gambia, 3 of the Murderers of the 2 Commissioners and their party were hanged, and a further 5 ringleaders would be deported.
