Sierra Leone Independence 1961.

[Georg14]

Good Day, Gentlemen! May be somebody know, is it memorable (souvenir?) or award medal? Why Gambia (territorially have not border)?

If it is an award, what kind of ribbon? D=39 mm, gilt copper. Tks.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hello George - I would say welcome - however, you seem to have been a member for longer then I have ....

I moved to Freetown in Sierra Leone in 1963 , I can still remember the new Prime Minister - Sir Albert Margai - riding in the past Governor's Rolls - a cabriolet, with the very back open and waving at anyone he passed - usually school children. If I remember rightly, the Territory of the Gambia - which is about 600 mile towards the North - was administered by the Sierra Leone Governor. I think it became Independent at the same time. I was working in Advertising then and was also given Gambia and Liberia, I refused to ever go to either of them.

I think then, that these will be for the Independence and to be handed out to school children - a piece of ribbon would have been used. I doubt that they have any great value. The one alternative that I can think of - the picture of the racing yacht ? Could they have organised a race between the two territories to mark the occasion ? I have never heard of this happening.

Out of interest - Britain and the young America - had Naval patrols off the West African coasts in the 1800's. Their purpose was to stop slavers and release the slaves. The problem was, that there was no way to find where the 'slaves' had been taken from - or, to return them as the hinterland was unexplored at that time. The solution was that the British realeased their captives at the newly named Freetown and the Americans at Liberia. Since males greatly outnumbered women - the authorities sent two hundred prostitutes from Glasgow to help....

These then became an elite group known as Kreoles - my secretary was a lovely black lady by the name of Mrs. MacDonald !

p.s. Most of West Africa is Muslim - the 1441 date is probably for when the Religion reached there.

Edited April 16, 2010 by Mervyn Mitton

[Georg14]

Hello, Mr.Mervyn! Many, many thanks for the interesting information. Yours faithfully.

P.S. I was in Freetown in 1979 and in S.A.R. in 1992.

[Mervyn Mitton]

Hi - George. Pleased to have been able to help. What were you doing that took you to two such diverse countries ? Mervyn

[Georg14]

Hello, Mervyn! At the Western Coast there are only two countries (W.Sahara and Guinea Bissau) where I was not during this period (the "international" help of exUSSR ). Regards, Georg.