Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

The Victory Medal awarded to Lieutenant A. G. Sale, 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, King’s African Rifles, late Trooper, Piooneer Corps, who was killed in action leading his men during his first engagement - at Mwaika Hill, near Lake Victoria, German East Africa, 9 March 1915

Victory Medal 1914-19 (Lieut. A. G. Sale.); Memorial Plaque (Alexander Gordon Sale) generally good very fine (2) £140-£180

Alexander Gordon Sale was born in Barrow-on-Trent, Derbyshire in November 1894. He was the son of Richard Sale, J.P. and was educated at Horris Hill and Repton School. Whilst at the latter Sale gained colours in cricket and football, and was a Head of House, a School Prefect and a Sergeant in the O.T.C.. He travelled to British East Africa in February 1914, and was employed by Pauling & Co., Contractors for the Railway to the Magadi Soda Lake. Sale enlisted as a Trooper in the Pioneer Corps in British East Africa in August 1914, and was commissioned Second Lieutenant in the 3rd (Reserve) Battalion, King’s African Rifles in January 1915.

Sale advanced to Lieutenant in March 1915, and was killed in action during his first action near Lake Victoria, German East Africa, 9 March 1915. The following was recorded in The Reptonian in May 1915:

‘His Commanding Officer, Colonel Graham, writes as follows, ‘Sale’s half company moved forward at the start of the fight to reinforce a party which was engaged in trying to keep the enemy from occupying a ridge which would have commanded the advance of the column. The ridge was somewhat broken and the men got rather scattered. Brook, who commanded Sale’s company, shortly after reached the same ridge, and after a few hours of the fight tried to find out from the men where Sale was. He was told by them that Sale had been seen at the far western end of the ridge or beyond, but shortly after found Sale lying dead not far from him. He had been shot through the top of the head and must have been killed instantaneously, probably at about 400 yards range. I rather think that he must have been moving about to collect his men or to find Brook: the fight at this time had reached a stationary point, each side holding opposite ridges. Nobody seems to have been near him when he was killed. We buried him with Military Honours at Mwaika Hill (near Lake Victoria) and later put up a cross before we finally left German East Africa. Sale had been only a very short time with the battalion and very soon endeared himself to his brother officers and men. He was very keen and always ready for any work; all of us were very sorry to lose him.’

Lieutenant Sale was one of three Lieutenants, a Sergeant Major and 9 Askari killed during the fighting for Mwaika Hill, 9 March 1915. A Distinguished Conduct Medal, and 2 African Distinguished Conduct Medals were awarded for the action. Lieutenant Sale, and the other casualties were subsequently moved to the Dar es Salaam War Cemetery, Tanzania. He is also commemorated on the Repton School Memorial, and at St. Wystan’s Church, Repton.