Rawlings And I Are One (Part 2) ; The Interesting Twist

Archival documents obtained from the Royal Military College, Sandhurst in the UK have proven that Gen. Sir Robert Dundas Whigham (1865-1950 G.C.B, K.C.M.G., D.S.O) did not father my grandfather.

However, it was his younger brother Gen. Robert Dundas Whigham (K.O. Sco. Bord), born on 31st January, 1873, who actually fathered my grandfather.

"I read your email and article for ‘Modern Ghana’ with interest. I also found a similar article wherein you give scans of the Government Gazette of the time. I regret to inform you that you have made a mistake in the identity of Robert Dundas Whigham, leading you to the erroneous conclusion that his records were deliberately hidden due to his having fathered an illegitimate child".

"Your ancestor had exactly the same name as the General Sir Robert Dundas Whigham but was born on a different date", Mr. Sebastian Puncher, Deputy Curator, The Sandhurst Collection noted.

I was shocked and emotional when he revealed this interesting and "annoying" twist. For the past eight years when I started to know who my identity was, I have never come across the name of the younger sibling anywhere.

The documents Mr Puncher attached revealed that Gen. Sir R. D. Whigham never had any West African spell. He took part in the battle of Atbara in Sudan, was in the Egyptian Army, South Africa etc.

At the time, his younger brother, Gen. R. D. Whigham was the Lt. of the the Infantry, West African Frontier Force (W.A.F.F.), Gold Coast Regiment (GCR) from 1907-1911. Before that, he had been to Nigeria from (1900-06).

He left on 22nd December, 1911 for his mandatory leave to Liverpool after he had fathered a son -my grandfather, born on 14th October, 1911. His name was Robert Dundas Whigham, a former foreman of the Ghana Railway Corporation.

Gen. Whigham never returned to the Gold Coast (present day Ghana). As to why he didn't come back from his mandatory leave, I am yet to know.

I have already poured out my sentiments and feelings in the Part 1 of this article (please check themanualgh.blogspot.com & modernghana.com ) and there is no need to continue it here.

In Ghana, he was single. It would have been prudent for him to return to at least, do the honourable thing by letting the child know who his actual father was.

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