Description
East and West Africa Medal, bar Gambia 1894, Armourer’s Mate E.T. Howe, HMS Satellite, Killed in Action in the sinking of HMS Aboukir by German Sub U-9 on 22nd Sept 1914.
Officially impressed: “E. T. Howe, Armr’s Mte., H.M.S. Satellite”
Provence, ex Dixons Medals a few years ago for the same price.
Confirmed on the medal roll, being issued the medal and clasp for the Gambia Expedition which was issued to him on the Satellite on 20th January 1896.
Medal named matching roll to “E.T. Howe” his actual name was Ernest James Charles Howe, T & J looking very similar when written in script.
A scarce clasp for the Gambia 1894 Expedition, the Satellite earning about 164 medals, out of a total 668 to the Royal Navy as well as 46 Krooboys.
Ernest James Charles Howe was born on 30th May 1869 in Plymouth, Devon.
He worked as a Whitesmith before joining the Royal navy on 18th March 1891 as Armourer’s Crew.
He was promoted to Armourer’s Mate on 2nd Feb 1893.
He then joined HMS Satellite as an Armourer’s mate, serving on board from 9th January 1894 until 6th August 1897.
Afterwards he was promoted to Armourer at Pembroke I on 5th march 1898, followed by Acting Chief Armourer on 15th June 1900.
He then became Chief Armourer on HMS Furious, on 1st July 1901.
Ernest would finish out a long career to retire on 16th March 1913 as a Chief Armourer over 6 years.
However this would not last long, as he was brought back from the reserve with the outbreak of war on 2nd August 1914, becoming Chief Armourer of HMS Aboukir.
The Aboukir was thought to be a very safe ship for older sailors who had retired, along with her sister ships the Hogue and Cressy. The ships were obsolete Royal Navy Cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Squadron, mostly manned by Royal Naval Reserve part timers, it was sometimes called the “Live Bait Squadron”.
On 22nd September 1914, when all 3 ships were sunk by the German Submarine U-9, much has been written about the “Action of 22nd September 1914” which shook the nation.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Action_of_22_September_1914
Ernest was one of the 527 men of the ship who died in the sinking, his papers recall he was “Discharged Dead, 22 Sep 1914, Drowned in the North Sea when HMS Aboukir was sunk by German Submarine”.
GAMBIA EXPEDITION
On 9th January 1894, Howe joined HMS Satellite as an Armourer’s Mate upon being commissioned to relieve the Corvette HMS Garnet on the Pacific Station.
Soon afterwards an expedition was launched against Chief Fodeh Silah, one of the Lieutenants of Samori Ture, the founder of the Wassoulu Empire. The Chief had been slave raiding and terrorising the district west of Cape St Mary and was threatening the British Colony of Gambia.
As a result a Naval Flotilla was assembled under Rear Admiral F.G.D. Bedford consisting of H.M. Cruisers HMS Raleigh under Capt E. Gamble, HMS Satellite under Commander A. C. Allen, the gunboats Magpie under Commander H.G. King Hall, HMS Widgeon under Lt H. Grant-Dalton and the Paddle Vessel HMS Alecto under Lt E.L. Lang.
The Infantry consisted of Captain Campell with a Maxim Machine Gun, two rocket trough detachments of the Sierra Leone Frontier Police and about 50 members of the 1st West India Regiment, in total a force of about 700 men.
Following the landing of the column they were ambushed by the Chief who lay in the thick cover beside the shore and caused heavy casualties on the men, putting 1/4 of the Naval Brigade out of action, including killing the Column Commander.
The British Force having received reinforcements from the West India Regiment was eventually successful and forced Chief Fodeh Silah to flee.
