Orders, Decorations and Medals

A rare Ashanti 1900 Expedition D.S.O. group of four awarded to Surgeon-Major William Fletcher, Royal Army Medical Corps

Distinguished Service Order, V.R., silver-gilt and enamels; East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, 1899 (Surgn. Lieut., Niger C.P. Force); Ashanti 1900, clasp, Kumassi (Surg. Capt., W.A.F.F.) high relief bust; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Aro 1901-1902 (Capt., M.B., D.S.O., R.A.M.C.) high relief bust, the first with small chips to centres, otherwise good very fine and rare (4) £3500-4500

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Collection of Medals Formed by The Late John Cooper.

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See colour illustration on front cover.

D.S.O. London Gazette 11 June 1901: ‘In recognition of services during the recent operations in Ashanti.’ Sixteen awards for Ashanti 1900, this being unique to a medical officer.

William Fletcher was born on 20 February 1863. He served in West Africa 1899, in the expedition in the Central Division of the Niger Coast Protectorate (Medal with Clasp); took part in the operations in West Africa 1900, Ashanti Expedition, was slightly wounded, mentioned in despatches (London Gazette 4 December 1900), and awarded the Distinguished Service Order (Medal with Clasp). The Insignia were presented by the King on 25 July 1901. Returning to West Africa, he served in Southern Nigeria 1901-02, in the Aro Expedition, and was again mentioned in despatches London Gazette 12 September 1902 (Medal with Clasp).

Surgeon Fletcher was wounded during the relief of Kumassi in the ambush at Dompoassi on the 6th June 1900. He was the medical officer with the column under Lieutenant-Colonel Carter which had been ambushed several times between Fumsu and Kwisa, which he relieved on the 4th June, having lost four men killed and seven wounded in one attack alone from the bush. Four of these casualties were significant of the enemy’s intention to pick off the white officers. Lieutenant-Colonels Carter and Wilkinson and Dr. Fletcher were walking together, followed by their three orderlies and the Regimental Sergeant-Major. The four natives were dropped by a sudden volley, the three white men fortunately escaping untouched.

On the morning of the 6th, Lieutenant-Colonel Carter, with one 7-pr., three Maxims, and three hundred and eighty men, started out from Kwisa to join Captain Hall at Esumeja. As the leading elements of his column approached the village of Dompoassi, a terrific volley sounded out which dropped Captain Roupell and many others. The battle began in earnest with a continuous, deafening roar along the line. All up and down the column men continued to fall fast. Lieutenant-Colonel Carter was badly wounded in the face and soon afterwards Wilkinson was also hit in the neck. Doctor Fletcher was also hit as he moved up and down the column tending the wounded. Just at the point that Lieutenant-Colonel Carter gave the order to retire, Colour-Sergeant John Mackenzie, a Seaforth seconded to the W.A.F.F., led a gallant and determined bayonet charge against the stockade, put the Ashantis to flight and drove them headlong into the bush. His gallantry at Dompoassi earned him one of the two Victoria Crosses awarded for the Ashanti war of 1900.