Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An extremely rare Uganda Rebellion 1897-98 C.M.G., Great War Egypt operations C.B.E., East Africa operations D.S.O. group of eight awarded to Colonel J. Ainsworth, an early settler who served for many years in the Imperial British East Africa Company and as a Senior Officer and Administrator in the East Africa Protectorate

The Order of St. Michael and St. George, C.M.G., breast badge, silver-gilt and enamel, complete with usual swivel-ring suspension and riband buckle; The Order of the British Empire, C.B.E. (Military), 1st type, Commander’s neck badge, silver-gilt and enamel; Distinguished Service Order, G.V.R., silver-gilt and enamel; East and Central Africa 1897-99, 1 clasp, Uganda 1897-98 (J. Ainsworth, Uganda 1897-98), locally engraved naming; Africa General Service 1902-56, 1 clasp, East Africa 1902 (Pol. Offcr., C.M.G., 3/K.A.R.); British War and Victory Medals (Col.); Imperial British East Africa Company’s Medal, silver (J. Ainsworth, C.M.G.), the reverse field further engraved ‘1889-1895’, with silver riband buckle enamel work slightly chipped in places, the D.S.O. with recessed obverse centre, otherwise generally good very fine and better (8) £3000-3500

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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C.M.G. London Gazette 16 January 1900: ‘For services in connection with the recent mutiny in Uganda.’

C.B.E. London Gazette 1 January 1919: ‘For valuable services rendered in connection with military operations in Egypt.’

D.S.O. London Gazette 1 January 1918 (East Africa).

John Ainsworth, who was born in June 1864, sailed for the West Coast of Africa in 1884, following a private education. Remaining there for several years, he travelled east to join the Imperial British East Africa Company in 1889, in which year Frederick Jackson was embarked on his famous Uganda Expedition. In fact Ainsworth organised the Company’s transport to that place between 1890-91, following the signing of the treaty with King Mwanga, and undoubtedly worked closely with the future Governor and Commander-in-Chief.

Promotion for him, too, came quick and fast, commencing with his appointment as H.M’s Sub. Commissioner in charge of the Ukamba Province in the East Africa Protectorate in 1895, under Sir Arthur Hardinge. In the following year he became Vice-Consul in British East Africa, and, between 1897-98, shared with Frederick Jackson the trials and tribulations caused by their Sudanese troops mutinying, services that won him a C.M.G.

Further trouble loomed up on the horizon in 1902, when the Kikuyu tribe, residents of the highland forest areas around Mount Kenya, murdered five Indian traders. Lieutenant F. W. O. Maycock, D.S.O., was duly despatched to carry out the usual rounds of village burning and confiscation of livestock, the appropriate ‘East Africa 1902’ clasp roll noting that Ainsworth served as the expedition’s Political Officer. But this turned out to be no ordinary punitive expedition, if only because of the arrival of Lieutenant Richard Meinertzhagen, K.A.R., on the scene, who, as usual, it seems, ‘happened to be in the area’. Maycock informed his K.A.R. comrade that a white settler had been captured and tortured to death and that he could have a ‘free hand’ to deal with the relevant offenders. And, as outlined in an earlier footnote, Meinertzhagen and his men found the mutilated settler’s body being used as a latrine, while assorted male and female Kikuyu danced around it. The village was surrounded and all the adult inhabitants bayoneted or shot. Another Political Officer, Mr. MacClean, who was apparently present, refused to give his consent or to interfere with the punishment. Exactly where Ainsworth fitted into these events is difficult to ascertain, other than to say that as MacClean’s senior, he must have had a few words to say to him at their next meeting.

Serving as an Acting Deputy-Commissioner of the East Africa Protectorate between 1904-05, and as a Member of the Executive and Legislative Councils, Ainsworth was appointed to the rank of Local Colonel in the Great War. His D.S.O. was probably awarded for his services as a seconded Military Commissioner for Labour, East Africa, from March 1917, although possibly it reflected earlier service in the field. He ended the War as Chief Native Commissioner of the East African Police and, as evidenced by the award of his C.B.E. in January 1919, at one time served in Egypt.

Ainsworth retired in 1921, was briefly re-employed by the Australian Government on special service in theMandated Territory of New Guinea in 1924, and died in March 1946, in South Africa.