Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

An Ashantee War C.G.M. awarded to Able Seaman William Sermon, H.M.S. Rattlesnake, who helped rescue a wounded seaman in the action at Chamah on the river Prah in August 1873

Conspicuous Gallantry Medal, V.R., 2nd issue (W. Sermon, A.B. R.N. Chamah); together with a privately named Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp (W. Sermon, A.B. R.N. H.M.S. Rattlesnake 73-74) contact marks, otherwise nearly very fine and scarce (2) £6,000-£8,000

Dix Noonan Webb, September 2010 (C.G.M. only).

Awards of the C.G.M. to Henry Godden, Captain’s Coxswain, and William Sermon, Able Seaman, both of H.M.S. Rattlesnake, as per Captain Commerell’s recommendation:

‘Both these men waded on shore through the surf at Chamah on 14th August 1873, and at the imminent risk to their lives, brought off to the 2nd cutter of the Rattlesnake, William Fryer A.B., who was seriously wounded and unable to make good his retreat to his own boat which was outside the surf. Both these men were mentioned in my despatches.’

Mention of this brave action is made in The Drums of Kumasi:

‘Meanwhile, at Shama, Sub-Lieutenant Draffen was landing from the Rattlesnake with ten Fante policemen who were to be posted at the fort. As they were marching from the beach they were interrupted by a hostile crowd and had to run for their lives back to the cutter which had landed them. To their dismay, they discovered that it had been overturned by the fierce surf and that its crew of British sailors, under a young midshipman, were having difficulty in righting it. Draffen and his policemen covered the sailors until their cartridges ran out, then took to the water. Four policemen and one of the sailors were killed and beheaded before the boats from the Rattlesnake could rescue them. Another sailor had a narrow escape. “I saw a white man, naked and wounded, get up from the beach and try to come off to the boat,” reported one of the rescuing officers. “Two men belonging to this boat - Charles Godden, coxswain, and William Sermon, ordinary seaman - volunteered to swim on shore and bring him through the surf, which was done, also a policeman who was wounded.’

William Sermon was born in London, Middlesex, on 24 March 1849. He attested into the Royal Navy as a Boy on 15 September 1864, and was advanced to Able Seaman on 24 February 1874, whilst serving in H.M.S. Rattlesnake during the Third Ashantee War. He was discharged to shore on 23 August 1877.

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Note: The Ashantee medal is a privately named example for display purposes only to show entitlement.