Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

Royal Humane Society, small, bronze, successful (Private Adjuma Sebi, Dec. 16 1902) lacking usual riband buckle, worn £60-80

Private Adjuma Sebi was awarded the Royal Humane Society’s Medal (Case No. 32443) for saving from drowning a fellow member of the the Gambia Company of the West Africa Frontier Force at Cape St. Mary on 16 December 1902. A full account of the incident was furnished by Lieutenant H. Hoskyns, of the same unit, who also received the Society’s Bronze Medal:

‘I wish to bring to your notice the conduct of No. 18 Ajumami (sic) Sebi, Gambia Company, W.A.F.F. This afternoon, the 16 December, I ordered a bathing parade for the detachment and at the same time I took the opportunity of bathing. My attention was called to a man who was very close to the submerged rock near where we bathe; I immediately tried to call his attention to the danger he was running (I should mention that this man turned out to be Maxim Gun Carrier Bakari). He seemed to be somewhat exhausted so I swam out to him, and found that he had completely lost his head and was in some danger of drowning. I did my best to rescue him and we attempted to swim back together to the ordinary spot where the officers generally bathe, but there was however a strong current setting towards the Cape point and it was impossible to swim against it. I then decided that we must risk a landing on the rocks under Government House. When we were about 100 yards from the rocks and were just getting into the broken water there was a considerable swell at the time and the surf was breaking with great violence on the rocks. Ajumami Sebi entered the water and swam out to Bakari who was now quite exhausted and taking him on his back both managed to reach safety. At this time I was rather exhausted and could have lent little or no aid to Bakhari and had it not been for Ajumami Sebi’s timely aid I consider that Bakhari must have been drowned or at least very seriously injured on the rocks. In order to emphasise what I consider to be Ajumami Sebi’s great pluck and skill I would add that although, if I may be permitted to say so, I am a very fair swimmer, I had great difficulty in landing safely and it was only after being twice carried back by the back-wash I was able to get safely ashore with the assistance of two men of my detachment.’