The unique to corps and exceptional Wast Africa Sierra Leone and Gambia 1893-1894 operations Medical Officer’s Distinguished Service Order, 1904 Knight of Justice of the Order of Saint John, Egyptian War 1882, Gambia 1891-1892 and Boer War group awarded to Major and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel A.H. Morgan, D.S.O. Kt.S.J., Army Medical Service, and 17th (Volunteer) Battalion, Rifle Brigade, who was also a Justice of the Peace and Deputy Lieutenant for County Cork, a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and a Fellow of the Zoological Society. Born in Dublin,ireland, from an established family at Skibbereen, County Cork, where his father was a respected soldier and magistrate, he was educated as a Surgeon at Dublin through the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. After service during the Egyptian War of 1882, he went on to see distinguished service in West Africa where he took part in the operations against Chief Fodeh Cabbah in Gambia from 29th December 1891 to 5th February 1892, receiving the scarce clasp for 1891-2, which was only awarded to 13 officers out of 516 clasps awarded. Then during 1893-1894 he was present on two operations, namely the operations against the Sofas in Sierra Leone during 1893-1894, and the operations in Gambia during 1894. During the first of these, as the commanding officer reported of Morgan, he was “Senior Medical Officer to the expedition, and, owing to the miscarriage of a letter sent to the Medical Officer at Kommendi, was in sole charge of the wounded from December 19 to January 7. The difficulties in transporting the wounded in hammocks over a country such as the expedition traversed, and where the cutlass was constantly required to cut a way, seemed to me at times almost insurmountable, and that the expedition was not greatly delayed was entirely due to Surgeon-Major Morgan’s great personal energy.” Mentioned in Despatches, he then took part in the second, an expedition against Chief Fodeh Silah, who for some time had been slave raiding and terrorising the district west of Cape St. Mary and generally threatening the Colony of Gambia. During this expedition, he was one of two officers of the medical service present. As the large column marched back to the landing place at Medina Creek after burning some stockades, they were followed up by the enemy and sniped at continuously. Whilst they waited at the creek for the tide to enable boats to approach the shore. Fodeh Silah and his men attacked from the thick cover beside the shore and caused heavy casualties. 4 officers and 10 men were killed, and 6 officers, including the Column Commander, and 40 men were wounded. One quarter of the naval brigade was thus put out of action. Eventually the boats arrived and they re-embarked with their wounded but left their dead and a 7-pdr. field gun ashore. Morgan was again Mentioned in Despatches, and was subsequently gazetted with his Distinguished Service Order on 8 June 1894. Morgan’s award of the D.S.O is exceptionally rare, being one of only six made for these operations in West Africa, of which four were to the army, and two to the Royal Navy. His is unique to the Army Medical Service. After his retirement from the army, he was appointed to Major and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the 17th (Volunteer) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade in July 1897. Owing to the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa, he then returned to active service as Principal Medical Officer and officer commanding troops aboard the hospital ship Princess of Wales during 1899 to 1900. He was again awarded a Mention in Despatches.In 1904 he was appointed High Sheriff of County Cork, and in that same year was appointed a Knight of Grace of The Most Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. He was also associated with the Isle of Wight, where he was known as a keen yachtsman and was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, and in1906 he unsuccessfully contested the Isle of Wight as a Conservative candidate. .
Group of 6: The Most Venerable Order of Saint John, Knight of Justice set of insignia comprising neck badge and breast star, silver and enamels, reverse of the breast star bearing jewellers letters ‘JBC’; Distinguished Service Order, D.S.O., VR cypher, silver-gilt and enamels; complete with top brooch bar adapted for mounting; Egypt and Sudan Medal 1882-1889, reverse dated 1882, no clasp; (SURGEON A.H. MORGAN. A.M. DEPT); East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, 2 Clasps: 1891-2, 1893-94, clasps attached as issued in reverse order; (SURG: CAPT. A.H. MORGAN. A.M.S.); Queen’s South Africa Medal 1899-1902, 1 Clasp: Cape Colony; MAJOR A.H. MORGAN, D.S.O. R.A.M.C.); Khedive’s Star, dated 1882. Last five on old ribbons and mounted as worn ‘cavalry’ style.
Condition: first and second with very light wear to enamel work, overall Good Very Fine or better.
Together with a superb old postcard bearing a portrait of the recipient, taken sometime around the period when he was contesting the Isle of Wight as a Conservative candidate during 1906, this of him in the uniform of a Lieutenant Colonel with the Volunteer Force in the Rifle Brigade, and shown wearing all of his medals, the mounted group identical in everyday. This with a note on the back detailing the election proceedings, addressed to a ‘Miss Morgan’ in Skibbereen, County Cork, and post dated for 24 January 1906.
Anthony Hickman Morgan was born on 29 June 1858 at Dublin, Ireland, the son of Captain Anthony Morgan, 95th Regiment of Foot, of Skibbereen, Cork, who had distinguished himself during the Crimean War, before becoming a respected magistrate in County Cork, and who was the Master of the West Carbery Hounds from 1859..
Morgan underwent his education in Dublin, and gained both his Licentiate of the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (L.R.C.S.I.) and his Licentiate of the King's and Queen's College of Physicians (Ireland) (L.K.Q.C.P.) in 1880.
Morgan was commissioned into the Army Medical Service as a Surgeon on 5 February 1881, and saw service during the Egyptian Campaign in 1882, the first of four conflicts he would participate in on the African continent. He was then posted to West Africa to Gambia.
Morgan was present in West Africa for the Punitive Expedition against Chief Fodeh Cabbah (Fodey Kabba) in Gambia from 29th December 1891 to 5th February 1892. This expedition occurred as a repercussion for Cabbah having attacked and wounded several members of the French Boundary Expedition in early 1891.
Initially a small party was put ashore with two 7 pounder guns, accompanied by His Excellency the Governor of Gambia himself, together with a party of Royal Engineers. After an advance to Sangajore a Chief came and apologised and the expedition withdrew and returned to their ships. The men had not been able to get out of their clothes once during the 17 days ashore., which in Victorian rig and that climate, must have induced prickly heat to say the least. However, Fodeh Cabbah continues to give trouble. An expedition under Lieutenant I.M.F. Fraser, Royal Navy, was then planned to capture Fodeh Cabbah. Fraser and the Superintendent of Police, Captain T.H. Hawtayne, North Staffordshire Regiment, borrowed the Colonial steam launch,.Lily, for a reconnaissance, pretended to go off on a shooting expedition and located Fodeh Cabbah at Marige. It was decided to make a surprise night attack and reinforcements arrived to the Gambia in H.M. gunboat Thrush and other men of war on 1 January 1892. The naval brigade consisted of 13 officers, 140 seamen, 33 marines and 96 kroomen.
Major T. Claridge, 2nd West India Regiment, embarked his troops on the gunboats Thrush and Widgeon. After a feint to make Foteh Cabbah think the expedition was to go to Kansala, Marige was surrounded on the night of 2 January 1892, However, there were obviously insufficient troops for the job as the men were spaced seven paces apart and at 1 a.m. Foteh Cabbah broke out through the cordon on horseback and fled into French Territory. The naval brigade then set fire to the various towns and villages which were said to be his strongholds.
A small detachment of 60 West India Regiment troops were left under Major Claridge to garrison Kaling where a small entrenched post was established. He was attacked and 25 reinforcements were then dispatched from the Thrush under Lieutenant Gwynn, but as most of the naval force were suffering from fever, further reinforcements were sent from the Racer and other ships and by this time a mixed force of 400 had been assembled under Commander Royle. There were minor skirmishes with Foteh Cabbah’s cavalry and more villages were destroyed. The Brigade was unable to cross into French Guinea to tackle the enemy and eventually withdrew. The campaign was not in fact a success.
For his services during this Punitive Expedition, Morgan was awarded the East and West Africa Medal 1887-1900, with the scarce clasp for 1891-2, which was only awarded to the 516 recipients, of which only 13 were of officer rank.
Remaining the with military medical establishment in West Africa, and promoted to Surgeon Major during 1893, Morgan was next present on two sets of active operations during 1893 to 1894, namely the operations against the Sofas in Sierra Leone, and the operations in Gambia during 1894. Both of these gained entitlement to the 1893-94 clasp for personnel.
At the end of November, 1893, the Adjutant General approved an expedition against the Sofas who were aptly described in the despatch, 'The Sofas under Porro Kerni were simply slave raiders.'
Colonel Ellis sailed from Freetown with his troops and carriers in the colonial steamer "The Countess of Derby' and the hired steamer*Badibou' and disembarked at Bende from where they marched 139 miles to Banguma. Morgan was one of two officers and 5 NCO’s of the Army Medical Service present for this operation.
Colonel Ellis' intention was to attack Porro Kerni's stronghold of Kerra Yemma, but before marching there, he sent a flying column 270 strong to Yallu (Yelladu). They made a circuitous march during which there were minor skirmishes. The enemy's fire was chiefly from flint-lock muskets and was delivered at too long a range to be effective, for although many men were struck by slugs and fragments of iron, only 8 were wounded.
The columns then concentrated and camped at Waima where before dawn on the 23rd December they were attacked by Lt. Maritz of the French army with a force of 30 African Tiralleurs and 1,200 native allies who thought the British were Sofas. A heavy fire with magazine and chassepot rifles was directed into the camp, but the W. I. R. 'exposed to a storm of bullets from magazine rifles showed wonderful steadiness, and at dawn the British advanced and cleared the bush to discover Lt. Maritz who was dying. Total casualties were 2 British officers and 8 ORs killed with 16 wounded, whilst the French lost 10 Tiralleurs and many of their allies.
Reinforcements and supplies arrived later that day and after this Colonel Ellis pushed on to Kerra-Yemma (or Kayima). However, shortage of rations forced him to place his troops on half rations as there were no local supplies to be found in the devastated countryside.
The path was exceedingly difficult, leading over boulders or rocks up and down steep declivities, through tangles of roots and creeping plants, and hands had to be used constantly. On one day's march the troops waded 96 times through swampy streams and 25 times through large stretches of swamp with black, slippery mud up to their ankles or knees. The mens' boots and clothing soon rotted and fell to pieces.In spite of these conditions only one European and two Africans died of sickness.
The deeper, unfordable rivers in their path had either to be crossed by small canoes or on rafts made on the spot from corkwood trees. En route Colonel Ellis made a treaty with Chief Sigbanda who said these were the first white men ever to visit his district. It is difficult not to wonder if this Chieftain understood the meaning of 'make any treaty or cede any territory to any other European nation without the consent of Her Majesty’s Government for the time being', when he affixed his mark to the document. At this time the Sofas attacked the Frontier's small post at Tungea which had just been reinforced and now had a garrison of 48 police. The 1,500 War Boys' under Chief Vonjo, instead of easily capturing the post, were heavily defeated, and Porro-Kerri, who had accompanied Fori, was killed by a chance rifle shot.
The Sofas had moved out of Kerra-Yemma but were eventually located after a night's march, attacked and surprised in their stockade at Bagbwema. They opened heavy fire on the W. I. R. The 7-pdr. guns then shelled the gate, setting fire to the thatch of the houses. Bagbwema was taken with the bayonet, 200 Sofas being killed and 70 captured, whilst a further 70 casualties were inflicted during the pursuit. The British suffered two wounded. 673 slaves were liberated and a large number of muskets and chassepot rifles taken and destroyed. Fori escaped and returned to make more trouble for the French until he was captured years later in 1907. The expeditionary force then returned to Freetown.
Morgan was awarded a Mention in Despatches for his gallant and distinguished service during the operations against the Sofas, his award being announced in the London Gazette for 28 February 1894.
The same gazette in the general report gives more detail on his services during this operation. as “Senior Medical Officer to the expedition, and, owing to the miscarriage of a letter sent to the Medical Officer at Kommendi, was in sole charge of the wounded from December 19 to January 7. The difficulties in transporting the wounded in hammocks over a country such as the expedition traversed, and where the cutlass was constantly required to cut a way, seemed to me at times almost insurmountable, and that the expedition was not greatly delayed was entirely due to Surgeon-Major Morgan’s great personal energy.”
Morgan’s second operation in this period was in Gambia between 22 February to 11 March 1894, when present in an expedition against Chief Fodeh Silah, one of Samory’s Lieutenants, who for some time had been slave raiding and terrorising the district west of Cape St. Mary and generally threatening the Colony of Gambia.
A naval force was assembled under Rear Admiral F.G.D. Bedford C.B., and Captain Campbell with a maxim and two rocket trough detachments of the Sierra Leone Frontier Police accompanied the expedition and also some 50 members of the 1st West India Regiment. In all, a force of over 700 all ranks.
The plan was for two columns to land, one at Medina Creek and the other at British Combo, and both to advance and unite at Birkama.
The smaller column under Lieutenant Colonel A.D. Corbet, Royal Marines, of H.M.S. Raleigh consisted of 50 marines and 50 men of the 1st West India Regiment and a field gun. On the 22nd February they marched on Sukutta where they destroyed the stockades suffering only minor losses. The larger column under command of Captain E.H. Gamble of H.M.S Raleigh., who was accompanied by the Rear Admiral and the Administrator, consisting of 200 officers and men and a field gun from the ships, marched in the direction of Birkama. It destroyed two stockades but found it impossible to reach Birkama and they therefore marched back to the landing place at Medina Creek. They were followed up by the enemy and sniped at continuously.
Whilst they waited at the creek for the tide to enable boats to approach the shore. Fodeh Silah and his men attacked from the thick cover beside the shore and caused heavy casualties. 4 officers and 10 men were killed, and 6 officers, including the Column Commander, and 40 men were wounded. One quarter of the naval brigade was thus put out of action. Eventually the boats arrived and they re-embarked with their wounded but left their dead and a 7-pdr. field gun ashore. .
Reinforcements of 300 troops from the 1st West India Regiment under command of Major Fairtlough, Royal Artillery, arrived on 1st March with 30 rockets, 2 7-pdr. guns and a maxim. In the meantime Lieutenant Colonel Corbet had destroyed Busamballa and then entrenched himself. He beat of an enemy attack for two hours and was then reinforced.
Commander C.J.G. Sawle of the Raleigh took over Captain Gamble’s command and with the squadron sailed to Gunjur which was bombarded. A large force of enemy which had assembled to resist disembarkation was dispersed and the brigade landed on the 7th March and advanced, where again Fodeh Silah fled.
Morgan was one of 7 members of the Army Medical Service to receive the ‘1893-94’ clasp to add to his East and West Africa Medal, two being to officers, 5 to NCO’s. This clasp was awarded to army personnel for operations in either Sierra Leone against the Sofas and in Gambia against Fodeh Silah, Morgan having the distinction of being on both operations. Approximately 1100 clasps were awarded. The naval and marine personnel engaged received the clasp ‘Gambia 1894’ and they did not participate in the operations in Sierra Leone.
In addition Morgan was awarded a second Mention in Despatches, this being for his gallant and distinguished service during the operations against Fodeh Silah in Gambia, his award being announced in the London Gazette for 4 May 1894, and in addition he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ‘in recognition of services during the operations on the West Coast of Africa’, this being awarded for both operations, and announced in the London Gazette for 8 June 1894.
Morgan’s award of the Distinguished Service Order is exceptionally rare, being one of only six made for these operations in West Africa, of which four were to the army, and two to the Royal Navy. His is unique to the Army Medical Service.
Morgan retired from the British Army on 12 February 1896.. but then joined the Volunteer Force, and was appointed to Major and Honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the 17th (Volunteer) Battalion of the Rifle Brigade on 7 July 1897.
Owing to the outbreak of the Boer War in South Africa, he then returned to active service, and initially received an appointment as a surgeon aboard the hospital ship Princess of Wales during 1899 to 1900. He was the officer commanding troops aboard the vessel and was the Principal Medical Officer, and also saw service ashore in the Cape Colony. For his gallant and distinguished services throughout this conflict he was awarded a Mention in Despatches in the London Gazette for 17 June 1902. .
In 1904 he was appointed High Sheriff of County Cork, and in that same year was appointed a Knight of Grace of The Most Venerable Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. He was also associated with the Isle of Wight, where he was known as a keen yachtsman and was a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron. In 1906 he unsuccessfully contested the Isle of Wight as a Conservative candidate. He was a Justice of the Peace and a Deputy Lieutenant for County Cork, and was a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, and a Fellow of the Zoological Society, and a member of the Iron and Steel Institute. Morgan died at Cowes on the Isle of Wight on 29 September 1924.
