A rare Lake Nyassa pair awarded to Sailmaker G. Powell, Royal Navy

East and West Africa 1887-1900, 1 clasp, Lake Nyassa 1893 (G. Powell, A.B., H.M.S. Pioneer); British War Medal (136280 G. Powell. Slmr. R.N.) accompanied by his officially re-impressed duplicate medal for Lake Nyassa which was issued circa 1920, nearly extremely fine (3) £2500-3000

Twenty nine clasps only were issued for this expedition against Chief Makanjira in Central Africa, all to Royal Navy personnel serving aboard H.M. Ships Adventure (12) and Pioneer (17).

Interestingly, the presence of 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 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.’