Jerok (11 February-3 March 1904) Six clasps awarded to British officers, none to other ranks.
El Kaimakam G. de H. Smith Bey was despatched with a friendly letter and an escort of 20 Cavalry to interview chief Dejaj Girata, at Jebel Goha. On arrival at the hill, he was informed that the chief was absent collecting taxes, whilst his people said they had been told to have nothing to do with Smith Bey. They admitted that Wad Mahmud was with them, but refused to give him up. Smith Bey, after reconnoitring the hill, returned to the camp at Khor Busuk.
Sheikh Hamed Hassan of Asosa, who has always been friendly and disposed towards the Sudan Government, enticed Wad Mahmud to Asosa and then informed Gorringe Bey of his whereabouts, where on the 3rd March, he was apprehended by El Kaimakam G. de H. Smith Bey. Ibrahim Wad Mahmud was sent to Wad Medani to be tried under the Sudan Penal Code and was hanged on the 23rd May.
The Abyssinian Emperor Menelik officially sent his congratulations and thanks to both Gorringe and Smith for the arrest of the notorious slaver. The king was annoyed at Dejaj Girata for not helping Smith Bey, and ordered his arrest. What later happened to him is unknown.
Nyam Nyam (1 January – 31 May 1905) 20 clasps awarded to British officers but none to British other ranks.
In the autumn of 1903, a small escort conveying a number of presents for Sultan Yambio, the paramount Chief of the Nyam Nyam tribe, left Rumbek under the command of the late Captain Armstrong (Lancashire Fusiliers) for the purpose of entering into personal negotiations with the chieftain, and of course hoisting the British and Egyptian flags in this portion of the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan which hitherto had not been effectively reoccupied for administrative purposes by the Sudan Government. As the correspondence which had previously taken place between Sultan Yambio and the Sudan Government had been of so friendly a nature, the party was organized more on the lines of an embassy than of a fighting force.
Unfortunately, a few marches from Rumbek, Captain Armstrong was gored to death by an elephant, and the party had to proceed under the command of Colour-Sergeant Boardman (Liverpool Regiment). On entering Nyam Nyam territory the attitude of the natives was noticed to be hostile, and as the party penetrated further its march was dogged by armed bands whose numbers daily increased, a general attack being only averted by the determined attitude of the little force. Seeing the futility of attempting to carry out his instructions in face of this ever-increasing opposition, Colour-Sergeant Boardman (later to be awarded the D.C.M. for his services) skilfully withdrew his force by night and by covering 120 miles in four days managed to shake himself clear of the pursuing Nyam Nyams with slight casualties, but with the loss of the transport animals and baggage, including the presents for Yambio.
Following this reverse, in February 1904, a patrol of 100 men, with two Maxim machine-guns, under Captain Wood (Royal Irish Fusiliers), with Lieutenant Haymes as Principal Medical and Staff Officer, was sent in an attempt to re-open negotiations with Yambio, and set out for the village of Rikta, Yambio’s son. The patrol reached Mimmobolo on 1 February, but received a somewhat unexpected check on reaching Rikta’s about 70 miles further south, or 142 miles south of Tonj, on 7 February. No villages or inhabitants were met until reaching the first Nyam Nyam village (Sheikh Toin’s), 20 miles north of Rikta’s. Sheikh Toin was apparently friendly, but professed ignorance of the intentions and movements of Rikta, who sent Wood Bey on entering his district two almost valueless presents of very inferior ivory. These were refused. As the patrol approached Rikta’s village gunfire was suddenly opened up on them at a few yards range and almost simultaneously a number of spear and bowmen lying concealed in the Khor, charged the government troops. The result was hand-to-hand melee, from which the Nyam Nyam rapidly withdrew into the high grass with which the surrounding country was covered. The Maxims were quickly brought into action, and cleared the enemy from the high grass which was as soon as possible burnt. Bimbashi Haymes had received a dangerous gunshot wound in the head and one man of the XV Sudanese had been killed, whilst nine others were wounded, mostly by spears and arrows. The Nyam Nyam, who are said to have numbered about 50, left behind six dead.
Meanwhile after the two previous attempts at friendly overtures to Yambio had failed, it was clear that peaceful negotiations were out of the question, so it was decided to dispatch an expeditionary force in January 1905 to suitably impress the Nyam Nyam (Azande) with a show of force and permanently establish the authority of the Sudan Government in this area of the Bahr-el-Ghazal.
The force, which was placed under the command of Major W. A. Boulnois (Royal Artillery), Commandant and Governor of the Bahr-el-Ghazal Province, was organized in two columns. A Western Column, under Captain A. B. Bethell, Royal Artillery with 11 British officers and nearly 700 infantry and 4 Maxims, and an Eastern Column, under Captain A. Sutherland, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, with three British officers and about 150 men.
The Eastern Column was ordered to advance from Rumbek via Mvolo into the eastern portion of the Nyam Nyam territory, engage the attention of Mangi, the most powerful son of Yambio, and by enforcing his submission, prevent him coming to the assistance of his father; whilst the Western Column, under the immediate command of Major Boulnois, advanced viâ Tambura and N'Doruma directly against Yambio himself.
The Column was concentrated at Mvolo by 1 January, on which date it began its advance towards Mangi's. The Western Column completed its concentration at N'Doruma's, 255 miles south of Wau, in the third week in January, and began its advance to Yambio's on the 26th of that month. The Eastern Column marched southward along the Rhol River, mostly through uninhabited country. On 12 February the column crossed the Meridi River and proceeded westward to Mangi's village, where it effected a junction with the Western Column on the 25th. There was practically no serious opposition on the part of the Nyam Nyams to the advance of this column, which was attributable undoubtedly to the presence of the Congo Free State forces in their midst and to a heavy defeat which these forces had inflicted on them when attacking one of their posts a short time before. The Western Column reached Zugumbia on 30 January, where the sick and most of the transport and baggage were left under a guard, and advanced on 2 February with eight days' rations. On 3 February the mounted infantry scouts located an ambush of the enemy, who retired after a short skirmish. On 6 February a large force of
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