The unique Reconquest of the Sudan Battle of Gedid ‘final pursuit and defeat of the Khalifa’ November 1899 Distinguished Conduct Medal and Mention in Despatches and long service group awarded to Staff Sergeant later Captain S.W. McConnell, D.C.M., Army Gymnastics Staff and Durham Light Infantry. From Sunderland, County Durham, he became known as a ‘Trainer of Champions’ owing to his prowess in army gymnastics, specifically fencing and boxing. Between August 1898 and March 1900 he was a Drill Instructor to the Egyptian Army, and throughout this period saw service in the Sudan when attached to the 13th Sudanese Battalion and also the 9th Sudanese Battalion. He was with the 9th Sudanese Infantry during Wingate’s final reconquest of the Sudan, during the Gedaref operations and at the Battle of Gedid on 22 November 1899. For his distinguished services, McConnell was recommended for the Distinguished Conduct Medal by Major Doran, Royal Irish Regiment, attached 9th Sudanese: ‘For his excellent instruction in fire discipline which has improved the Battalion so very much - and for his steadying effect on the men in the face of the enemy.’ His unique award of the D.C.M for these operations was presented to him personally by Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle in July 1900.
Group of 3: Distinguished Conduct Medal, Victoria; (ST-SJT: S.W. MC’CONNELL, A. GYM: STAFF.); Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal, GVR Fm. bust; (Q.M.SJT: INSTR. S.W. MC.: CONNELL. A. GYM: ST.); Khedive’s Sudan Medal 1896-1908, 3 Clasps: Gedaref, Gedid, Sudan 1899, unnamed as issued.
Condition: minor edge bruising, Good Very Fine or better.
Samuel Walker McConnell was born circa 1876 in Sunderland, County Durham, though his 1911 Census record states Galway, County Galway, Ireland, when he gave his name as Samuel Walker O’Neill McConnell. Whatever the case he was the son of Charles and Sarah McConnell, his father having come from Londonderry and as of 1881 was living in Bishop Wearmouth, Sunderland, where he was working as an iron ship caulker. The family was still living in the area as of 1891, by which time Samuel McConnell was 15 years old.
McConnell went on to work as a labourer as saw initial military service in the Militia as a Private with the 4th Militia Battalion, Durham Light Infantry, prior to attesting into the regular British Army at Redcar Camp on 13 June 1893, and joining as a Private (No.4931) the Durham Light Infantry with the Depot at Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He was then posted to the 1st Battalion on 6 July 1893, and was appointed to Lance Corporal on 10 December 1894, and promoted to Corporal on 15 June 1896. In this period, McConnell was fast making a name for himself as a regimental sportsman, and as such was then posted to the Army Gymnastics Staff on 13 December 1897, being promoted to Sergeant and 2nd Class Instructor on his posting.
Having initially attested for short service, McConnell then reenrolled to complete 12 years with the Colours on 10 August 1898, and on the same date was appointed as a Drill Instructor to the Egyptian Army, being paid from British funds, and from the following day was posted to Egypt where he remained until March 1900. Through his time with the Egyptian Army he found himself doing duty in the Sudan.
McConnell is listed as attached to the 13th Sudanese Battalion, Egyptian Army, but he served with the 9th Sudanese Battalion, Egyptian Army, during the Gedaref operations and at the Battle of Gedid, 22 November 1899. At Gedid the Khalifa and Ahmed Fedil were both killed, and the reconquest of the Sudan was complete. The part played in the battle by the 9th Sudanese under Major Doran, is recorded in the despatch of Colonel Sir Reginald Wingate:
‘Major Maxse (Coldstream Guards), Brevet Major Doran (Royal Irish Regiment) and Brevet Major Gorringe (Royal Engineers) commanded the 13th, 9th, and Irregular Sudanese Battalion’s respectively, and I cannot speak too highly of the excellent behaviour on the line of march, and the gallant conduct in action of every officer, non-commissioned officer, and man composing this infantry brigade. Such results can only be obtained by constant drill and attention to discipline, and the gallant and able commanders of the 9th and 13th deserve special commendation for the high state of efficiency of their battalions. It was in front of the 9th that the Khalifa met his death..... Immediately in front of the line of advance of the 9th Sudanese, and only a few hundred yards from our original position on the rising ground, a large number of the enemy were seen lying dead, huddled together in a comparatively small space; on examination these proved to be the bodies of the Khalifa Abdulla et Taaishi, the Khalifa Ali Wad Helu, Ahmed-el-Fedil, the Khalifa’s two brothers, Sennousi Ahmed and Hamed Mohammed, the Mahdi’s son, Es-Sadek, and a number of other well-known leaders.
At a short distance behind them lay their dead horses, and, from the few men still alive - amongst whom was the Emir Yunis Eddekein - we learnt that the Khalifa, having failed in his attempt to reach the rising ground where we had forestalled him, had then endeavoured to make a turning movement, which had been crushed by our fire. Seeing his followers retiring, he made an ineffectual attempt to rally them, but recognising that the day was lost, he called on his Emirs to dismount from their horses, and seating himself on his ‘furwa’ or sheepskin - as is the custom of Arab chiefs, who disdain surrender - he had placed Khalifa Ali Wad Helu on his right and Ahmed Fedil on his left, whilst the remaining Emirs seated themselves round him, with their body-guard in line some 20 paces to the front, and in this position they had unflinchingly met their death.... The Khalifa’s death was the signal for the whole-sale surrender, and by the afternoon we had collected upwards of 3,000 men and 6,000 women and children, besides quantities of rifles, swords, spears, cattle, etc.’
It was for his actions during the ‘final pursuit and defeat of the Khalifa, Soudan, November 1899’ that led to McConnell being awarded a unique award of the Distinguished Conduct Medal, this being published in the London Gazette for 13 March 1900. The original recommendation (by Major Doran, Royal Irish Regiment, attached 9th Sudanese Battalion) states: ‘For his excellent instruction in fire discipline which has improved the Bn [9th Sudanese] so very much - and for his steadying effect on the men in the face of the enemy.’
Staff Sergeant McConnell, who was also awarded a Mention in Despatches for gallant and distinguished services at the Battle of Gedid, as published in the London Gazette for 30 January 1900, was presented with the Distinguished Conduct Medal by Her Majesty Queen Victoria at Windsor Castle on 18 July 1900.
McConnell who had been posted home since 20 March 1900, would then remain posted to the Army Gymnastic Staff, and be promoted to Colour Sergeant and 1st Class Sergeant Instructor on 28 November 1902. He then re-engaged with his parent regiment, the Durham Light Infantry on 8 June 1905, in order to complete 21 years with the Colours. He saw service in Dublin, Ireland, and as of 1909 took over charge of the South Eastern Division England Gymnasium at Portsmouth. H regularly appeared in the newspaper of this period, being noted as a ‘celebrated Army gymnastic trainer’, being proficient in both fencing and boxing.
Known as ‘Mac’ to those who knew him, he was advanced to Quarter Master Sergeant Instructor in October 1912, and was regarded as a ‘Trainer of Champions’ where fencing matters were concerned. He remained at Portsmouth until his discharge on 12 June 1914, he having been also awarded the Army Long Service and Good Conduct Medal in Army Orders No.99 of 1914.
McConnell’s intention on discharge was to move to Canada, but soon afterwards the First World War broke out. McConnell was commissioned as a temporary Second Lieutenant with the Educational and Training Gymnasia in August 1915, and promoted to temporary Captain, without pay and allowances whilst employed on Gymnastic Staff in September 1916.
In October 1917, ‘a party of officers and 19 A.G.S. instructors proceeded to the U.S. [El Paso, Texas] to assist in training their newly raised armies. The officers included Capt. McConnell. The part deserves much credit. Their work and spirit appealed to the American temperament and wherever they went they won excellent opinions. Many of the American divisions refused to part with their British instructors when ordered to France and took them with them.’ (extract from the History of the A.P.T.C. refers). McConnell was not one of those who went to France, and indeed given his unpaid capacity it would appear that he was not entitled to any Great War Medals. He is however also entitled to the Queen’s Sudan Medal.
Latterly residing in West Hartlepool, County Durham, he died in July 1952.
