Orders, Decorations and Medals

Pair: Detective Sergeant Munhamo, British South Africa Police, who was severely assaulted and left for dead by terrorists in December 1976
Rhodesia General Service Medal (15794 D./Const. Munhamo); Rhodesia Police L.S. & G.C. (15794 D./Sgt. Munhamo), the last with edge bruising, otherwise generally very fine or better (2) £60-80

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, The Keith Holshausen Collection.

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Munhamo, who was born in March 1938 and a member of the Munjanja Tribe from the Charter district of Rhodesia, joined the British South Africa Police in October 1960. He subsequently served in the Criminal Investigation Department (C.I.D.) and Special Branch (S.B.), his postings including Sinoia (Investigations) 1961-64, Chirundu 1964-65 and C.I.D. Marandellas 1965-71 - whilst stationed at the latter his senior was Station Sergeant Aroni, whose Honours & Awards form part of this collection. Described as ‘able to command intelligently and make decisions without continuous recourse to those senior to him’, Munhamo was advanced to Detective Sergeant in July 1971, but a little over five years later, as evidenced by the following annual report from August 1976, his career was all but ended:

‘On 9 December 1976, Detective Sergeant Munhamo, whilst visiting his home kraal, was severely assaulted and left for dead by terrorists. He sustained a fractured skull and brain damage. Although he remains loyal to the Force, I am left in no doubt that his efficiency and mental capacity have been seriously affected by his traumatic experience.’

Also a recipient of the St. John’s Service Medal (Force Orders 340/61 refer), he was discharged as medically unfit in November 1978 (Force Orders 725/78 refer); sold with two official B.S.A.P. portrait photographs.