Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Lake Nyassa 1893 (C. Edney, Lg. Sto., H.M.S. Pioneer) nearly extremely fine and rare £1800-2200

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Richard Magor Collection of Medals Relating to India and Africa, and other Fine Awards.

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Charles Edney, who was born in Sandport, Hampshire in December 1856, joined the ship’s company of the gunboat H.M.S. Pioneer in August 1893, as a Leading Stoker, just in time to participate in the Lake Nyassa operations.

Interestingly, the presence of the Pioneer in such an inhospitable setting echoes the story of the R.N’s operations on Lake Tanganyika in the Great War, for she, and H.M.S. Adventure, had been sent out in sections from Jarrow-on-Tyne and then hauled over 200 miles of virgin territory before being assembled on the lake’s shores.

Magor states of their part in the expedition, following the commencement of operations against the rebel chief Makanjira:

‘H.M.S. Pioneer and H.M.S. Adventure then took part in a combined operation against Makanjira’s mother, Kalunda, a slave trading chieftainess, who with her warriors was shelled out of her village at Rifu Bay. Makanjira sent a dhow to rescue his mother but this was sunk by the Pioneer.’

Edney subsequently qualified for one of approximately 30 ‘Lake Nyassa 1893’ clasps to the R.N., the military and civilian personnel of the expedition actually being awarded Central Africa Medals.

He was pensioned ashore in September 1897.