An Asantehene’s court session in Kumasi in the 1950s
Little is known about some British military officers who nurtured what evolved into the Ghana Armed Forces as we have them today.
In 1928, the Gold Coast Regiment of the Royal West African Frontier Force (RWAFF) had as its Officer Commanding a certain Lt. Col. WC Wilson, who attracted the following decorations, DSO, O.B.E., M.C. whose annual pay was one thousand two hundred pounds with a daily duty allowance of ten shillings.
His Second-In-Command or 2ic was a Major B.R. French, DSO, whose annual pay was one thousand pounds.
Capt D.S. Marchant, MC was Adjutant and he took an annual pay of seven hundred pounds and a daily duty allowance of five shillings.
Capt C.R. Smith was Quartermaster and he took a pay of between seven and eight hundred annually. The Assistant Adjutant on the other hand received six hundred pounds annually and a daily duty allowance of three shillings and he was Lt. I.J. Mothersill.
Capt S.C. Askwith, was the intelligence officer.
The Officer Commanding the Signal Training School in 1928 was Lt. C. Peacock who received an annual pay of six hundred pounds and a daily duty allowance of two shillings six pence.
The Officer Commanding the Depot (Recruits Training School) was Capt E. B. Backhouse. Battery Commander was at the time vacant but the position went with an annual pay of seven hundred pounds.
The battery subalterns were Lt. P.J. Hourihame and Lt. W.T. Dunn and Lt. G.K. Speechly and the Machine Gun Platoon Commander was Capt R.L. Hill and his salary was seven hundred pounds.
Subalterns Machine Gun Platoon, Lt. G.J. Bullard and Lt. I.C.D. Ryder received six hundred pounds annually.
Captains J.G. Mackellar, L.H. Bearne and L.H. Mc Council were infantry Captains who took seven hundred pounds annually.
Capt. D.M. Noyes-Lewis, Lt. E.W. Benchow R.A. Lt CC Rice, Lt. HFG. Maclean, Lt. HA Fitt, Lt. SV Davidson, Lt SE Stewart, Lt. HE Colbert, Lt TFG Hopkins, Lt. TH Hamselin, Lt EI Newall, Lt ER Hanley, Lt. ACP Jackson and Lt. SI Edwards.
The Regimental Sergeant was RSM Ward and he took an annually pay of between four hundred and fifty pounds and four hundred and seventy pounds.
The bandmaster was Medhurst and his pay was between four hundred and ten pounds to four hundred and thirty pounds.
The Regimental Quartermaster Sergeant was RQMS TH Collins and his pay was between four hundred and thirty and four hundred and fifty pounds.
The Orderly Room Sergeant was Staff QMS FA Clipsman and his pay was between four hundred and thirty and four hundred fifty pounds. He was Staff QMS Royle.
The Armourer Sergeants were Arm QMS T.P. Murphy, Arm S. Sergeant CC Woodward.
Battery Sergeant Major was RSM JH Burnard and his pay was between four hundred and thirty and four hundred and fifty pounds.
Battery Quartermaster Sergeant was BQMS FA Clipsman and his pay was between three hundred and seventy and three hundred and ninety pounds.
Section Sergeant, Battery received between three hundred and fifty and three hundred and seventy pounds annually. The Company Sergeant Majors were CSM R. McDermott, CSM AR Singleton, CSM WG Evans and CSM G. Brown.
Company Quartermaster Sergeants were CQMST. Pelmear, CQMS AJ Seymour, CQMS HF Barker, CQMS J French.
Signalling Sergeant was Sgt. LE Curtis
Platoon Sergeants, Infantry were Sgt GO Stringer, G. Tolley, Peach, CSM JW Ritson, Sgt GH Wilkins, JD McIntyre.
The Platoon Sergeant Depot was Sgt H. Unsworth who took home annually between three hundred and fifty pounds and three hundred and seventy pounds.
It is interesting to note that British soldiers earned more than their Gold Coast counterparts even when they were on the same rank.
By A.R. Gomda