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The Ashantee War Conspicuous Gallantry Medal awarded to Able Seaman William Sermon, H.M.S. Rattlesnake, who helped rescue a wounded seaman in the action at Chamah, on the river Prah in August 1873
Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R., 2nd issue (W. Sermon, A.B. R.N. Chamah) contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and scarce £4000-5000
Awards of the C.G.M. to Henry Godden, Captain’s Coxswain, and William Sermon, Able Seaman, both of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, as per Captain Commerell’s recommendation:
‘Both these men waded on shore through the surf at Chamah on 14th August 1873, and at the imminent risk to their lives, brought off to the 2nd cutter of the Rattlesnake, William Fryer A.B., who was seriously wounded and unable to make good his retreat to his own boat which was outside the surf. Both these men were mentioned in my despatches.’
Mention of this brave action is made in The Drums of Kumasi:
‘Meanwhile, at Shama, Sub-Lieutenant Draffen was landing from the Rattlesnake with ten Fante policemen who were to be posted at the fort. As they were marching from the beach they were interrupted by a hostile crowd and had to run for their lives back to the cutter which had landed them. To their dismay, they discovered that it had been overturned by the fierce surf and that its crew of British sailors, under a young midshipman, were having difficulty in righting it. Draffen and his policemen covered the sailors until their cartridges ran out, then took to the water. Four policemen and one of the sailors were killed and beheaded before the boats from the Rattlesnake could rescue them. Another sailor had a narrow escape. “I saw a white man, naked and wounded, get up from the beach and try to come off to the boat,” reported one of the rescuing officers. “Two men belonging to this boat - Charles Godden, coxswain, and William Sermon, ordinary seaman - volunteered to swim on shore and bring him through the surf, which was done, also a policeman who was wounded.’
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