Auction Catalogue

2 July 2003

Starting at 10:00 AM

.

Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Grand Connaught Rooms  61 - 65 Great Queen St  London  WC2B 5DA

Lot

№ 450

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2 July 2003

Hammer Price:
£1,300

An excessively rare Cameroons 1915 operations West African Frontier Force D.C.M., German East Africa M.M. pair awarded to Sergeant P. Grumah, Gold Coast Regiment, who was wounded at Jabassi in October 1914, mentioned in despatches in May 1916 and killed in action in September 1917

West African Frontier Force Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (6414 Cpl. Palpuke Grumah, G.C.R. - W.A.F.F.); Military Medal, G.V.R. (6414 Sjt. Palpuka Grumah, G.C.R.) contact marks and one or two edge bruises, very fine (2) £800-1000

West African Frontier Force D.C.M. Gold Coast Government Gazette 27 May 1916: ‘For his conspicuous gallantry near Ngung [in the Cameroons] on 29 November 1915, when he led six scouts up to the left of the enemy’s position, which had been held by a machine-gun and 60 rifles, to ascertain if it was still occupied. He advanced to within 50 yards of the enemy’s rifle pits when they opened rapid fire killing one man and wounding another. Corporal Palpuka Grumah fired several volleys with the remaining men and returned with the rifle and equipment of the man who had been killed, and his scouts.’

M.M.
Gold Coast Government Gazette 1 September 1917 (German East Africa).

Mention in Despatches
London Gazette 31 May 1916 (Cameroons).

See John Arnold’s O.M.R.S. title
The African D.C.M. for several informative reference sources for Palpuka Grumah’s remarkable wartime career. His wound received in action at Jabassi in the Cameroons on 14 October 1914 is verified in the Gold Coast Government Gazette of 1 May 1915, and he is commemorated on the Kumasi Gold Coast War Memorial. It is unlikely that more than 15 such gallantry combinations exist.