Description
Africa General Service Medal, EDVII, bar Jubaland, Private Charles William Gillam, Royal Marines, HMS Magicienne, One of only 33 Royal Marines to earn this clasp.
Officially impressed: “C. W. Gillam. R.M., H.M.S. Magicienne.”
Confirmed on the medal roll. With copy service papers.
This medal issued to him on HMS Vengeance, 16th April 1903.
Also earned the Queen’s South Africa for his service on the same ship in the Boer War. Returned to service shortly after retiring after 21 years in 1914 to serve out WW1 at the Royal Marines Deal Depot with Portsmouth Division, earning the sole British War Medal.
The Jubaland clasp is a very rare award to a Royal Marine, only about 209 Jubaland Claps were issued to the Royal Navy and Royal Marines from the 3 ships present, the Magicienne, Scout, and Terpischore.
Out of these issues only 33 Royal Marines received the clasp. Few examples to the R.M. have surfaced.
The official Army Order No 133 of 1902 authorising the medal:
“The Medal with clasp Jubaland to all officers and men who took part in the operation against the Ogaden Somalis under the command of Colonel T. Ternan, including the Military Forces at Kismayu, and to such officers and men of the Royal Navy and Royal Marines serving on His Majesty’s Ships, Magicienne, Terpischore and Scout, as were landed between the 16th November 1900 and 30th April 1901.”
Following the murder of British Commissioner A.C.W. Jenner in Somalia known as Jubaland in British East Africa.
It was reported to the authorities that 4,000 local Ogaden Somalis had armed themselves in an uprising and after a seemingly friendly meeting with Jenner he was set upon and killed.
This led to Colonel Ternan and Hatch commanding the Protectorate Forces to mobilised to Kismayu with 500 men, and HMS Magicienne which was serving in South Africa for the Boer War, was sent up to the port in November 1900.
The Church Missionary Intelligencer wrote during 1901 that “The Acting Commissioner, Colonel Ternan, with Lieut-Colonel Hatch, commanding the East Africa Rifles, proceeded at once from Mombasa, and began to organise the Ogaden Punitive Force.
In addition to local forces, a small but valuable party of bluejackets and marines were landed from HMS Magicienne…”
One interesting event that occurred whilst HMS Magicienne was serving at South Africa was when they went up and captured a German Liner who was attempting to smuggle in contraband to the war, as well as 3 German Officers and 20 men, suspiciously dressed in Khaki who were intending to sign on with the Boers.
The Tewkesbury Register writes on 6th Jan 1900:
“A GERMAN LINER SEIZED
Her Majesty’s Cruiser Magicienne has seized the German Line Bundesrath, to the north of Delagoa Bay, with contraband of war on board.
She was conducted on Friday of last week to Durban, where he case will be investigated by the Prize Court, Retuer’s Agency says that she had on board 3 German Officers and 20 men in khaki, who were intending to serve in the Boer army.”
The “Bundesrath Incident” led to some heated negotiations back in London between the German and British Government alongside some international diplomacy between Secretary of State Count Bulow and the British Ambassador Sir Lascelles, including an angry letter sent to Lord Salibury “From the German Ambassador, of a tone very unusual in diplomatic correspondence.”
CHARLES WILLIAM GILLAM
Charles was born on 10th April 1874 in Walmer, Deal, Kent, right by the Royal Marines base, if not inside of the base itself.
His father also named Charles Gillam was a Royal Marine himself, making young Charles born a Royal Marine.
He was initially a Farm Labourer, before he enlisted with the Royal Marines on 10th October 1892 at Walmer, the same as his father.
He first saw service afloat on HMS Porpoise from 15th Feb 1894 – 14th May 1897, before he saw his posting from the Portsmouth Division to HMS Magicienne.
He served on board HMS Magicienne from 28th October 1899 until 19th June 1901, before returned back to headquarters.
During that time he saw the whole of their service in South Africa, followed by their posting up to Somalia for the Jubaland Expedition since late 1900.
After this he continued on to finish out a long career, serving on the Vengeance from April 1902 – April 1905, followed by the Barfleur (Apr-May 1905), Thames (Dec 1905 – April 1906), Mercury, (Apr 1906 – May 1907) and Indefatigable from 23rd June 1908 – 10th January 1910.
By 18th October 1913 he had finished a full 21 years of service.
Following his discharge he was enrolled in the Royal Fleet Reserve on 20th June 1914, having barely a chance to enjoy retirement before the outbreak of war in Europe.
He was officially recalled on the outbreak of World War 1 on 2nd August 1914 seeing service with the Portsmouth Division at Deal.
Having extensive experience with a 21 year career he was likely a little too old to be sent out on a ship, likely helping train the future Royal Marines, for which he earned the sole British War Medal for this service.
He remained there throughout the war serving at Deal until 4th October 1919 when he was discharged on demobilisation.
He did return for his yearly drills up to at least 1923.
In 1939 he lived with his wife Ellen at 122 Downs Road in Deal, having barely moved a mile since his Birth, he was less than a mile from the location of the Royal Marines Depot Deal, the census noting he was a “Retired Royal Marines Pensioner”.
Charles later died in 1947 in Dover, Kent.
