Description
Africa General Service Medal, bar Somaliland 1920, 3870 Sepoy Genu Dhere, 101st Grenadiers.
Officially impressed: “3870 Sepoy Genu Dhere 101st Gren.”
Confirmed on the medal roll.
Well preserved example to the Indian Army.
A rare clasp for the “Final Campaign against the Mad Mullah”.
You can read further about the campaign and involvement of the 101st Grenadiers on Kaiserscross.com
http://www.kaiserscross.com/188001/566401.html
Having been a thorn in the side of the British for decades they were finally successful in the “Somaliland 1920” campaign to drive out Muhammad Ibn Abdallah Hassan, better known as the Mad Mullah out out the region, he died later that year of influenza having fled the area to the Somali Region of Ethiopia following the successes of the British.
The British Empire had the advantage finally as they know had the technological advantage of the Royal Air Force’s “Z Force” who were shipped over on Royal Navy aircraft carriers allowing them to co-ordinate air and land attacks on the forts and strongholds of the Dervish forces.
In his book “Churchill and the Mad Mullah of Somaliland: Betrayal and Redemption 1899-1921” by Roy irons he recalls:
“The RAF independence strike against the Mullah was to take place from Eil Dur Elan Airfield on 21st Jan 1920.
The aircraft would strike at Jid Ali and Medhise (some 12 miles NW of Jid Ali where the latest intelligence reports placed the Sayyid) to demoralize and scatter the Dervish Army, and to kill or stampede his stock.
Simultaneously, ‘A’ Force, consisting of 3 camel and 2 pony companies of the Somaliland Camel Corps together with 1 and a half companies of the 101st Grenadiers, Indian Army, were to advance towards Jid Ali to prevent the escape of stock, or troops, and hopefully the Mullah himself, to the south.”
