The highly significant Great War West Africa Cameroons and East Africa operations Bombardment of Dar-es-Salaam August 1916 Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George and Sultanate of Zanzibar Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar 2nd Class group awarded to Vice-Admiral A. C. Sykes, Royal Navy, who, having taken part in the hunt for the Konigsberg and acted in support of operations undertaken by the Cameroons Expeditionary Force in 1914-15, served in H.M.S. Challenger as Senior Naval Officer on the East Coast of Africa and lent valuable assistance at the capture of the Dar-es-Salaam in September 1916, having previous to this commanded his ship in the hunt for the German warship Konigsberg and then subsequent blockade in the Rufiji Delta. At the bombardment of and surrender of Dar-es-Salaam in German East Africa on 21 August 1916, Challenger, carried out a night bombardment on the railway station – 50 rounds of 6-inch on 21 August, which caused a great impression and assisted in brining about the surrender. Only the station and its vicinity were injured; a remarkable result for indirect firing at night. During his extended period of service in East African waters, Sykes was frequently in close contact with the Sultan of Zanzibar and rendered him and the Protectorate a number of valuable services for which the Sultan bestowed on him the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar, 2nd Class.
Group of 6: The Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., Companion’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamels; Africa General Service Medal 1902-1956, 1 Clasp, Somaliland 1902-04; (COMMR. A. C. SYKES, R.N., H.M.S. HIGHFLYER.); 1914-1915 Star; (CAPT. A. C. SYKES, R.N.); British War Medal and Victory Medal with Mention in Despatches Oakleaf; (CAPT. A. C. SYKES. R.N.); Sultanate of Zanzibar: Order of the Brilliant Star, 2nd Class breast star, silver, gold and enamels, with Toughra of Sultan Ali Bin Hamoud Al-Busaidi, unmarked, the reverse centre with similar embossed Toughra.
Condition: the last with small chip to white enamel, otherwise Nearly Extremely Fine.
Alfred Charles Sykes was born on 20 February 1868 at Dunsforth Vicarage, near Ouseburn, York, and entered the Royal Navy as a Cadet in Britannia in July 1881. Confirmed in the rank of Sub Lieutenant in November 1887, and following service on the Pacific and China stations, he was advanced to Lieutenant in H.M.S. Ringdove on the Australia station in April 1891, where he was employed on navigational duties. Having then been likewise employed in home waters, he joined Highflyer, the flagship of Rear-Admiral D. H. B. Bosanquet, commanding the East Indies Station, and witnessed active service off Somaliland in 1902 to 1904, in which period he was advanced to Commander.
Next appointed to Crescent, the flagship of Rear-Admiral John Durnford, C.B., D.S.O., Commander-in-Chief, Cape of Good Hope and West Coast of Africa, he gained advancement to Captain in June 1909 and took command of the cruiser Astraea in April 1913 and was likewise employed on the outbreak of hostilities in August 1914.
In the opening months of the war, Astraea was much involved in operations on the coast of East Africa, taking part in the hunt for the Konigsberg. Early in August 1914, Sykes was given orders to destroy by gunfire the wireless station at Dar-es-Salaam and to close the port and deny its use as a base for the Konigsberg. Astraea subsequently acted in support of the military operations in the Cameroons, following which, in March 1915, Sykes took command of the cruiser Challenger. She too lent valuable support to the ongoing campaign in the Cameroons, prior to reinforcing the squadron blockading the Konigsberg in the Rufiji Delta. And following the latter’s demise, he was appointed Senior Naval Officer, East Africa.
He subsequently played a prominent role in the operations leading to the surrender of Dar-es-Salaam in September 1916 and was appointed a Companion of The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George and awarded a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette for 15 June 1917. The citation reads: ‘Captain A. G. Sykes, H.M.S. Challenger, carried out a night bombardment on the railway station – 50 rounds of 6-inch on 21 August, which caused a great impression and assisted in brining about the surrender. Only the station and its vicinity were injured; a remarkable result for indirect firing at night.’
During his extended period of service in East African waters, Sykes was frequently in close contact with the Sultan of Zanzibar and rendered him and the Protectorate a number of valuable services for which the Sultan bestowed on him the Order of the Brilliant Star of Zanzibar, 2nd Class; after much protracted correspondence between the Admiralty and the Colonial and Foreign Offices, he was eventually given permission to accept and wear the insignia. His award was published in the London Gazette for 14 September 1918.
Sykes ended the war as Senior Naval Officer at the port of Leith and was placed on the Retired List as a Rear-Admiral in March 1920. Having then been advanced to Vice-Admiral (Retired) in August 1925, he died in February 1933, aged 64.
