Ghana’s last surviving World War II veteran, Ex-Warrant Officer Class I Joseph Ashitey Hammond, has pledged to pursue compensation from the government to assist the families of the three soldiers (former servicemen) who were shot at the Christiansborg Castle intersection in Accra.
He argued that it was unjust that, after 80 years, the veterans who sacrificed their lives for Ghana had not received any compensation for their families.
Speaking at a press conference on Saturday in Accra to mark his 100th birthday, Ex-WO1 Joseph Ashitey Hammond, said he would exhaust all the processes to demand compensation for the families of the three soldiers who boldly sacrificed their lives for the betterment of this country.
They are Sergeant Nii Adjetey, Corporal Patrick Attipoe, and Private Odartey Lamptey.
The centenarian veteran recalled the events of June 1945, when he and his colleagues, returned from World War II and were met with disappointment and disillusionment.
”I came back from World War II in 1946, only to find myself discharged without receiving the compensation and employment opportunities that had been promised by the British government. We were left to fend for ourselves, and tragically, some of my comrades perished on the streets. Feeling a sense of betrayal, we resolved to take action and organised a march to the castle to deliver our petition to the government,” he stated.
Ex-WOI Hammond said the British government reneged on its promise to create jobs for them as well as compensate them.
“We were left to our fate and to fend for ourselves after sacrificing for the British Government,” he said.
That, Ex-WOI Hammond, said led to a series of protests and demonstrations, which eventually escalated into violence.
The veteran described the chaos and bloodshed that ensued, including the killing of several soldiers and civilians as the 1948 Riots.
Ex- WO1 said he had written a book titled “Joseph Ashitey Hammond” which chronicles his experiences and personal account of Ghana’s turbulent past, offering a unique perspective on the country’s struggle for independence.
According to him, he was only 16 when he set out from Ghana’s shores to fight in a war that changed the course of history.
“Participating in the Burma Campaign in the British colony of Burma, I witnessed the brutality of combat, the loss of friends, and the heavy toll the war took on humanity,” he stated.
WOI Hammond said “This year, at 100 years old, I am the sole remaining voice of my generation in Ghana, a living memory of World War II.”
BY RAYMOND
APPIAH-AMPONSAH
