Beschreibung:

The George Cross (exchange E.G.M.) awarded to William Jamieson, European Shift Superintendent of the Ariston Gold Mine at Prestea on the Gold Coast, for his gallantry in saving the lives of six Africans who had been badly gassed in a mining accident on 7 January 1936 George Cross (William Jamieson, Ariston Gold Mine, Gold Coast, 23rd. June 1936) on original mounting pin, in Royal Mint case of issue, extremely fine £8,000-£12,000 Footnote E.G.M. London Gazette 23 June 1936: William Jamieson, European Shift Superintendent, Ariston Gold Mine, Prestea, Gold Coast. ‘Mr. William Jamieson was being lowered underground in the service cage when one of the native workmen was found lying unconscious on the shaft station. As he appeared to have been gassed, Mr. Jamieson, with a companion, decided to investigate the cause of the trouble. On passing through the ventilation door at the back of the shaft station they found three more boys lying about fifty feet from the door, a few feet apart. It was evident that they had been seriously gassed and they were at once removed to the shaft station. At a point about 900 feet north of the shaft another boy was found lying across the track and Mr. Jamieson after sending back two boys with this man continued on to the working face of the drift, alone. There he found six boys lying about in a very serious condition and he at once proceeded to drag them back put of the fumes. He had eventually himself to be helped out of the mine as he was then unable to walk without assistance. His prompt and gallant behaviour, carried out at great personal risk, undoubtedly saved the lives of these six Africans.’ William Jamieson was born at Wanlockhead, Dumfriesshire, on 30 August 188, the son of lead miner David Jamieson and his wife Jessie. Following in his father’s footsteps he started working on the lead mine in Wanlockhead aged 14, earning 1 shilling per day. He remained employed here until the mine was closed in 1934 owing to the fall in the price of lead, and the following year signed a 1 year contract with the Ariston Gold Mine Company, to be employed as European Shift Superintendent at the company’s Gold Mine at Prestea, on the Ankobra River on the Gold Coast (in what is now south-western Ghana). For his gallantry in saving the lives of six African mine workers on 7 January 1936, at the risk of his own life, he was awarded the Empire Gallantry Medal. A full account of the action was conveyed in a letter from the General Manager of the Mine to the London office of the Company, and was reproduced in The African World: ‘I desire to bring to your attention an incident which occurred on 7 January 1936, and which, but for the prompt and courageous performance of one of our European shift bosses, Mr. W. Jamieson, would have resulted in a very serious loss of life. At 7:50 p.m. Messrs A. McNeil and W. Jamieson, together with their two chop boys, were being lowered underground in the service cage, when the cage was stopped by the bell boy at No. 6 level, who informed them that one of the boys who had come out of the drift had gone to sleep and that he could not awaken him. The boy was found lying on the shaft station in an unconscious state, and as he appeared to have been gassed, McNeil and Jamieson decided to investigate the cause of the trouble. On passing through the ventilation door at the back of the shaft station they found three more boys lying about 50 feet from the door, a few feet apart. As it was evident that these boys had been seriously gassed, they were at once removed to the shaft station. It was then arranged that McNeil should continue on the cage to the 17th level to bring help, and Jamieson and the two chop boys proceed along No. 6 level north. At a point about 900 feet north of the shaft a boy was found lying across the track, and Jamieson, after sending out the two chop boys with this man, continued onto the working face of the drift alone. At the face of the drift Jamieson found six boys lying