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Auction: 21001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals (conducted behind closed doors)
Lot: 196

'Every man from youth upwards carries a gun and knows how to use it. The gun is usually called a 'Dane' gun, antique it is true, but still a most effective weapon up to 40 yards, when charged with ugly metal slugs, with good powder well pressed down behind … When out for war, they augment their costume by the addition of a black skull cap.'

So states a Colonial Office report, following an uprising by the inhabitants of the Asaba Hinterland in Nigeria in the summer of 1906; among those severely wounded by 'ugly metal slugs' was Mr. A. A. Chichester, a District Commissioner and Political Officer

A rare Africa General Service Medal awarded to District Commissioner A. A. Chichester, a veteran of three punitive expeditions in Nigeria in the period 1902-06

No stranger to the murder of colonial administrators - one of his neighbouring commissioner's had his body parts strewn around as "Ju Ju" - he was himself fortunate to survive a brace of wounds collected in a hotly contested action fought near Agbor in June 1906: a subsequent Medical Board held in London found that 'the wounds were made by pieces of iron pot and that the projectiles are still in the body'

It was about this time that Chichester made an application for promotion, as a result of which he was interviewed by Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State for the Colonies

Africa General Service 1902-56, 3 clasps, S. Nigeria 1902, S. Nigeria 1905-06, West Africa 1906 (A. A. Chichester), good very fine

Ex-Richard Magor Collection, Dix Noonan Webb, 2 July 2003.

Athol Augustus Chichester was born on 9 May 1861, the son of Frederick Arthur Henry Chichester and his wife, Frances Marianne (nee Tighe). Having attended the training ship H.M.S. Worcester in 1876, he embarked on a career at sea, initially serving in sailing vessels of Messrs. P. Henderson & Co. of Glasgow, from June 1878 to June 1882.

His subsequent appointment in the Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Co. service from the latter date until July 1890 witnessed numerous voyages to Australia, India and the Far East and he obtained a Master's Certificate of Competency; he also served in the hospital ship Ganges off Egypt in 1885.

From October 1890, however, he served as a Travelling Inspector of the Board of Agriculture, under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act.

Colonial Administrator - baptism of fire

In May 1897, Chichester was appointed an Assistant District Commissioner in the Niger Coast Protectorate and, between 1900-02, he served as a District Commissioner in Sapeli, before transferring, in August of the latter year, to Asaba.

Four months later, Captain and Brevet Major H. C. Moorhouse, Royal Artillery, led an expedition into the Asaba Hinterland, accompanied by Chichester as a Political Officer. The aim of the expedition was to suppress the Ekumeku and Otuchichi secret societies and, following a number of patrols in December 1902, that objective was obtained (Medal & clasp).

By 1905, Chichester was an Acting Divisional Commissioner in the Central Division, and as such participated in Brevet Major (afterwards Marshal of the Royal Air Force) J. M. "Boom" Trenchard's Bende-Onitsha Hinterland Expedition, a punitive outing brought about by the horrific murder of one Dr. Stewart; his body parts had been scattered around numerous villages as "Ju Ju" (2nd clasp). For his own part, Chichester appears to have seen action in Captain A. H. W. Haywood's column, part of the Etchi-Ngor Patrol; the latter commended him for his good work.

'Ugly metal slugs': severe wounds

Finally, in the summer of 1906, he acted as Political Officer to the Asaba Hinterland Patrol and saw action in the operations hastened by the murder of a fellow District Commissioner, Mr. O. S. Crewe-Read (3rd clasp).

The opposition fought bravely and, by means of the effective deployment of their 'Dane' guns, inflicted over 130 casualties on the patrol's ranks. Chichester was among them, being severely wounded near Agbor on 11 June 1906, following a remarkable march of some 40 miles, much of it under a heavy fire.

Captain W. C. E. Rudkin takes up the story in his patrol report:

'… The path, which had been very narrow up to this point, here debouched into the telegraph clearing, and we were attacked on three sides and forced to come to a halt. A Sergeant reported a large yam clearing on the left 30 yards away, on the outer side of a belt of bush, so I pushed a section through, the enemy resisting stoutly, and we had a hand-to-hand fight. Eventually the Hausas drove them into the open and charged magnificently, and this party fled, losing heavily.

After getting our wounded dressed and burying two men, we moved on again, and got along very slowly half a mile when the enemy's fire ceased. I then brought the scouts and flankers in from the bush and the advance guard rushed a hundred yards, which we made good without a casualty. The original style of fighting then went on for another hour, when we were again held up.

The position was extremely critical now, and we could not gain a yard for two hours. I had every available man, including some of the wounded in the bush, and herded the carriers, who lay flat under their loads, using them as shields. The carriers with light loads would now, I think, have willingly taken an extra weight so as to obtain something more substantial in the way of cover.

Twice the enemy drove in our left flank but we cleared them out. Chichester and Walmisley-Dresser were both badly hit, and most of us were hit with slugs which did not penetrate. Eventually they gave way and we advanced in a square formation, fighting literally for every yard. We had great difficulty in bringing on the wounded, who had to be carried in officers' chairs, on ponies, and on the backs of carriers, whose loads we threw away … '

A subsequent Medical Board held in London deemed the nature of Chichester's wounds as 'severe', the iron pot projectiles that hit him in the right thigh and chest still being lodged inside his body; a specialist in Harley Street concluded that the removal of the projectiles would 'probably do more harm to his tissues than is done by their presence.'

Whilst convalescing in London, Chichester applied for promotion and was interviewed by Winston Churchill, then serving as Under-Secretary of State for the Colonial Office. Following their meeting, in a letter dated 27 October 1906, he wrote to Churchill with further observations as to why his application was a fair one, although he added that 'he did not for a moment wish to complain'. In the event, he appears to have gained appointment as a 1st Class Commissioner in May 1907 but the appointment was short-lived, for he retired on a pension in July 1908.

Ancient warrior

Notwithstanding his advanced years, Chichester offered his services in November 1914, an offer supported by an impressive array of testimonials from his earlier services at sea and in West Africa; copies included.

He was duly commissioned as a Captain in the 5th (Service) Battalion of the Dorsetshire Regiment, pending its formation for service in the Sixth New Army. In August 1915, however, he was embarked for Egypt in the 1st (Garrison) Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. And, excepting a brief period of hospitalisation in late 1917, he appears to have remained similarly employed until returning to the U.K. in September 1918; entitled to a 1914-15 Star Trio.

Chichester, who resigned his commission in November 1919, died in London in November 1937; sold with a comprehensive file of research, including numerous - fascinating - Colonial Office reports and correspondence.


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Sold for
£2,700

Starting price
£700