Britain's first black soldier

James 'Jimmy' Durham was the earliest African to join the Army as a fully enlisted infantryman. The authors of a new book on Black Victorians tell his incredible story...

- John Woolf , Keshia N Abraham

THE collective memory of Victorian Britain tends to be overwhelmingly white and patrician. But in truth, Queen Victoria’s era was ethnically far richer and more multi-cultural than is sometimes presented in the

history books. In fact, many people of African descent helped create the Great Britain of today.

One of the most incredible tales is that of James “Jimmy” Durham – originally named Mustapha and believed to be the first African to join the British army as a fully enlisted soldier.

His story begins on December 30, 1885, at 5am at the Battle of Ginnis – a minor clash between Anglo-Egyptian forces and insurgents loyal to the Sufi religious leader who had declared jihad against British colonial occupiers of the Sudan.

The Mahdi’s army had taken Khartoum after a 313-day siege in January 1885, killing General George Gordon, causing outrage back in Britain and establishing a religious state, the Mahdiyah.

Now at the Battle of Ginnis as the UK moved to punish the Mahdi, a cavalry brigade and two British infantry brigades – including the 2nd Durham Light Infantry (DLI) – advanced towards Ginnis ducking bullets and spears and engaging in close combat at bayonet point.

As the Mahdist troops fled into the desert, Lieutenant Henry de Beauvoir de Lisle of the DLI volunteered to capture an Arab nuggar, a sailing boat, reportedly carrying ammunition and supplies. Around 100 troops marched 35 miles before arriving at the village of Kohehmatto where the local sheikh reluctantly revealed the boat’s position about six miles upstream.