Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, Nandi 1905-06 (Ntve. Officer Masud Mohamed, 3/K.A.R.) edge nicks, good very fine and an unusual rank £140-180

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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Although not a particularly rare clasp, it is interesting to speculate whether Native Officer Masus Mohamed was one of those members of the 3rd Battalion, King’s African Rifles, under Lieutenant Meinertzhagen, who rashly entered into a parley with the Laibon called Koitalel, a witch doctor. Magor takes up the story:

‘Lieutenant Meinertzhagen of the 3rd K.A.R. was stationed at Nandi Fort. He made friends with the Nandi, who he obviously liked, as he described them as ‘the most charming savages he’d met who should be taught a lesson.’ They tried to ambush Meinertzhagen, as the Chief Witch Doctor, the Laibon called Koitalel, wanted his body to make a particularly potent medicine to turn bullets to water.

The Laibon Koitalel was believed to be the principle cause of the trouble.

Meinertzhagen expressed the view that the military wanted an expedition just so they could win a medal, and the politicals so they could absorb the Nandi land into the White Highlands, and he conceived an idea that if he could capture the Laibon then there would be no neccesity for an expedition. Eventually he received orders to try to do this. He met the Laibon for a parley, but the Laibon tried to ambush him. The Laibon, together with 23 of his entourage were shot by Meinertzhagen’s Askaris.

Opinion was that Meinertzhagen should be awarded the Victoria Cross, but even though there were three Courts of Inquiry which cleared him from acting improperly, the civilians had the last word as he was sent back to England. It was one of the many Administration versus the Army ‘fetinas’ (feuds).’

Colonel Richard Meinertzhagen, C.B.E., D.S.O., was ultimately more famed for his work as an ornithologist and traveller, but at the height of his military career he was equally renowned for his outspoken views in the face of authority. A member of the Paris Peace Delegation after the Great War, he went on to become a senior adviser out in the Middle East.

The recipient was not present with Meinertzhagen