Son of sergeant demands compensation for the 3 ex-servicemen

The son of Sergeant Adjetey, reverend Steven Okan Adjetey has appealed to government to pay some compensation to the families of the three ex servicemen who died at the crossroad shooting at the Christiansburg Castle in 1948.

He said it’s been 73 years since the incident happened yet the gratuities of the ex servicemen have not been paid.

By the end of World War 2, imported consumer goods were so scarce in the Gold Coast and their prices were so high that the cost of living became unbearable majority of the population.

The people accused members of the Association of West African Merchants (AWAM), who traders of imported goods of being the cause of this it. As a result, a large campaign to boycott European and imported goods was launched in the Gold Coast in January 1948.

The economic hardship was felt by all but particularly the ex-servicemen who had returned from fighting in the 2nd World War.

On 28th February 1948, a number of unarmed ex-servicemen embarked on a peaceful march from Accra to the Christiansburg Castle to present a petition to the Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, Sir Gerald Creasy, on failed promises on their end of service entitlements.


They were intercepted at the Christiansburg Crossroad by a contingent of armed policemen, led by a British Superintendent, Colin Imray.

Without provocation, they opened fire at the Ex-servicemen, killing Sergeant Adjetey first and then, Corporal Patrick Attipoe and Private Odartey Lamptey, instantly.

Speaking in the documentary “the unarmed soldier” aired on TV3 Reverend Steven Okan Adjetey bemoaned the fact that no form of compensation have been given to the families of the three ex-servicemen since their death in 1948.

He said successive governments could have done more than just wreath laying on 28th February every year to compensate the surviving families of the 3 ex servicemen. He added that the government should consider amongst other things giving the burial place of sergeant Adjetey a befitting facelift.

The documentary “the unarmed soldier” is part of the Ghana month series on tv3.