Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare ‘Lubwa’s Fort’ Indian Order of Merit pair awarded to Sepoy Sahib Singh, 15th Sikh Regiment

Indian Order of Merit, 3rd class, Reward of Valour, the reverse inscribed ‘3rd Class Order of Merit’, complete with silver ribbon buckle; East and Central Africa 1897-99, 1 clasp, Lubwa’s (3036 Sepoy Sahib Singh, 15: Sikhs Regt.) impressed naming, extremely fine (2) £1200-1500

Indian Order of Merit G.O. 99 of 1899: ‘No. 3036 Sepoy Sahib Singh, and No. 3277 Sepoy Phuman Singh. For conspicuous gallantry in action at Lubwa’s Fort on the 11th December 1897, on which occasion they bravely and devotedly stood by Lieutenant MacDonald on that officer falling mortally wounded, though the enemy were almost on him at the time.’

A small force under Major J. R. L. MacDonald, R.E., arrived at Lubwa’s Fort on Lake Victoria on the 18th October, 1897, where they found it occupied by mutinous Sudanese troops who had made prisoners of and confined their officers, Major Thurston and Messrs. Wilson and Scott. On the following day the mutineers attacked Major MacDonald’s force for five hours, but were defeated, and driven back into the fort. Here they murdered their English prisoners and were invested.

Fighting took place throughout October and November, the fort being invested all the time. MacDonald, however, had insufficient troops to deal with the situation and had already sent urgent messages to the coast for reinforcements. The first of these, a party of one hundred men of the East African Rifles, arrived on the 7th December, and on the 10th December a further party arrived which included a small column of Sikhs under Lieutenant Norman MacDonald, younger brother of Major MacDonald.

On arrival of these reinforcements, attempts were made to construct an advanced post on the peninsula to restrict the mutineers to their fort, all access from the lake having been blocked by a fleet of canoes. On the 11th December, Lieutenant MacDonald and his small party were covering the activities of men delegated to destroy the rebel’s plantations and gardens, so as to deprive them of food, when the enemy made a desperate flank attack on the working parties. Lieutenant MacDonald, while defending himself and rallying his men, was shot and mortally wounded. Sepoy Sahib Singh, with the help of Sepoy Phuman Singh, defended MacDonald against overwhelming odds. They were both awarded the Indian Order of Merit for their gallantry, as were another three Sepoys who came to their assistance and helped to carry MacDonald to a more secure position. Mr Pilkington, the C.M.S. Missionary, who was helping in charge of working parties, was also killed. A Jemadar of the 14th Sikhs was up-graded to a 2nd class Order of Merit for repairing a maxim gun whilst wounded and under a heavy fire from the enemy, thus making a total of six awards of the Order of Merit for the Lubwa’s Fort action on 11 December 1897.