Description
Ashantee and Long Service group – Royal Welsh Fusiliers.
Ashantee 1873-74, no clasp, 2493. Pte. C. J. Howell, 2.Bn. 23. R.W. Fus. 1873-4; Army L.S. & G.C., V.R., small letter reverse, 187. Qr. Mr. Sgt. C. J. Howell. R.W. Fus.
Charles John Howell, a labourer, was born in Chelsea in 1854.
He attested for the 2/23rd Battalion, Royal Welsh Fusiliers at Woolwich on 22 March 1872. Posted to the West Coast of Africa from 21 November 1873 to 20 March 1874, he was advanced Lance Sergeant 27 May 1876 and served a further 4 years overseas in Gibraltar.
Discharged at his own request in 1899.
He died at 95 Piedmont-road, Plumstead on 13 October 1920.
Condition – edge bruising and contact marks, nearly very fine
During the Third Anglo-Ashanti War (1873–1874), the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Regiment of Foot (Royal Welch Fusiliers) served as part of Major-General Sir Garnet Wolsele y’s British expeditionary force in the Gold Coast .
The battalion arrived off Cape Coast in December 1873 aboard HMS Tamar. However, severe logistical bottlenecks—caused by a shortage of local native porters and the rapid spread of tropical disease—forced Wolseley to restrict the landed force. While the 42nd Highlanders (Black Watch) and Rifle Brigade disembarked in full, only a headquarter detachment of roughly 100 officers and men from the 23rd Foot disembarked for the march to Kumasi, while the remainder stayed in reserve afloat.
To cope with the West African jungle climate, the Fusiliers abandoned their traditional scarlet tunics. They wore custom-designed lightweight grey homespun tweed smocks, trousers, and cork pith helmets. The troops were armed with short Snider-Enfield rifles and heavy Elcho sword-bayonets, which featured saw-toothed backs designed to hack through dense jungle underbrush.
Battle of Amoaful (31 January 1874): Initially positioned in the central reserve of Wolseley’s tactical square, the 23rd detachment was pushed forward into intense bush fighting to reinforce the Black Watch front line under heavy musket fire.
Advance on Kumasi (February 1874): The detachment participated in the final push across the Ordah River, taking part in the capture and destruction of King Kofi Karikari’s capital at Kumasi on 4 February.
The regiment was awarded the battle honour “Ashantee” for the campaign. Upon their return to Portsmouth in March 1874, the town council presented the battalion with a white goat to replace their regimental mascot, which had died of illness while deployed in West Africa.
