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Auction: 22001 - Orders, Decorations and Medals
Lot: 174

A rare West Africa service campaign group of three awarded to Major W. D. Byrne, Royal Sussex Regiment, late Royal Irish Regiment and West African Frontier Force

Having earlier seen action in operations in Borgu in 1898, the Ashanti in 1900 and Northern Nigeria in 1903, he attracted the wrath of his seniors - and Joseph Chamberlain at the Colonial Office - for his chastisement of an uncooperative African chief whilst on active service in May 1905

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1898 (Capt. & Insptr. W. D. Byrne. Lagos. Hausa. Force.); Ashanti 1900, no clasp (Lieut. W. D. Byrne. W.A.F.F.); Africa General Service 1902-56, 2 clasps, N. Nigeria 1903, S. Nigeria 1904-05 (Capt. W. F. Byrne, W.A.F.F.), mounted court-style as worn, the second with official correction to surname, clasps on last adapted for mounting (3)

William Daniel Byrne was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 5th Battalion, Royal Irish Regiment (Militia) in May 1893 and was advanced to Lieutenant in July 1895.

West African Frontier Force (W.A.F.F.)

In February 1897, he gained an appointment in the W.A.F.F., the commencement of an extended period of active service. Indeed, he first saw action in the Borgu operations of the following year, as a newly promoted Captain - and Inspector - in the Lagos Hausa Force (Medal & clasp).

Further active service ensued, firstly in the Ashanti operations of 1900 (Medal), and afterwards in Kano-Sokoto operations in Northern Nigeria in 1903 (Medal & clasp). But it was for his subsequent part in operations in Southern Nigeria in 1904-05 that he rose to prominence.

Hitting the Headlines

It was in the latter operations that Byrne attracted the wrath of his seniors for overseeing the flogging of the King of Oweti (or Oheki) in May 1905, the latter having refused to provide much-needed local intelligence. Having failed to consult his seniors over the matter, his deeds became the subject of extensive correspondence, so much so that news of the incident eventually reached the desk of Joseph Chamberlain, the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

In respect of Byrne' wider part in the campaign, a summary of events appeared in The Times on 19 June 1905:

' … The previous week the Elder, Dempster liner Akapo brought Captain Barrow and Captain Byrne from Calabar to Lagos with 100 men of the West African Frontier Force, Lagos Battalion. A portion of these men were at a place called Akataka in Southern Nigeria and went on an escort with the District Commissioner to Oweti to collect fines from the chief and natives of that place. The force, about 20 in number, was going in single file through the bush, which was dense, when it was fired on from all sides. It had been ambushed by the two hostile tribes who inhabited the district.

Four native soldiers of the British force were killed, and the remainder fell back to Afikpo. From here word was sent to Calabar, the headquarters, and reinforcements were dispatched. This column was joined by the Afikpo force and an attack was made on Oweti. Resistance was met at several points on the route but this was in every case overcome after numbers of the native enemy had been killed. Oweti itself was attacked and the King captured.

There were no further deaths on the British side but seven or eight natives and one white Sergeant were wounded as a result of further operations … '

Here, then, a direct reference to the capture of the King of the Oweti, who was dealt with by Byrne in no uncertain terms, or certainly according to report that appeared in the Lagos Weekly Record at the end of May 1904:

' … 24 lashes were administered on him, every evening, after which having been given one or two glasses of whiskey, he was made to dance before the officers.'

It was this newspaper report that led to an investigation into Byrne's actions, a copy of which was forwarded to Joseph Chamberlain at the Colonial Office in London. In responding in his defence, Byrne stated:

'I and part of my company accompanied Captain Margesson column into the Ezza country, the patrols sometimes meeting with resistance. No natives were unnecessarily killed, and I am absolutely certain that no women or children were fired on or molested.

When the column under Captain Margesson reached the place where some men of Lieutenant Barrow's party had been previously killed, fighting was expected, but we passed through the day without seeing anyone. The day before we had some men wounded, including a European N.C.O. severely wounded.

On 19 April [1905], my company was detached from Captain Margesson's column and I was sent by his orders with it to a town called Oheki, with orders to search for the Ohekis in the bush and to find the chief. No shot was fired at anyone after I left Captain Margesson by the men under my command. I captured the chief of headman of Oheki and endeavoured to obtain information from him, which I found impossible to do without using a little force which is usually done in such cases.

It is absolutely untrue that he received 24 lashes or was made to dance … '

Invited to elaborate further by the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, Byrne responded that he had confronted the Chief on several occasions in order to obtain information from him and that, 'on two or three occasions, he received some lashes, but no more than eight on any one occasion. The lashes given him were so light that they made no mark on him.'

He added, by way of further explanation to his actions:

'The Chief informed me that the heads of some of the men of my company, who were killed when Lieutenant Barrow was ambushed, were being carried about the country, represented as the heads of government officials. He refused to speak the truth and it was most necessary to have the information required, and there was no other way of obtaining it. I thought I was justified in doing what I did.'

In summarising the case in a report dated 31 August 1905, Major-General G. V. Kimball, C.B., D.S.O., stated that Byrne had 'showed great want of judgment in repeating the punishment on successive days' and that accordingly he should not be permitted to continue his career in West Africa. However, by way of closing his report, Kimball added 'I think it would be most unjust if his past services counted for nothing'. He continued:

'He is 35 years of age and is described (I think correctly) by his Commanding Officer as a steady plodding officer with a very good temper. Not brilliant but steady and most conscientious and having a good influence among officers and men. I consider that he should either be given employment elsewhere, or be granted a pension of gratuity.'

Subsequent career

In the event, Byrne appears to have remained in West Africa, for in a subsequent pension application, he stated:

'I was serving with my regiment, the Nigeria Regiment, when war was declared and I was invalided out of the regiment about 18 August 1914 and was taken on the strength of the Royal Sussex Regiment on the same date, or the day after.'

Related medical reports state that he was suffering from malaria and nettle rash. Be that as it may, he does indeed appear to have served in the 10th Battalion, Royal Sussex Regiment, prior to relinquishing his commission in July 1919, when he retained the rank of Major. He died in September 1950; sold with a file of comprehensive research, including medal and clasp verification.


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Sold for
£3,500

Starting price
£1000